Geneva, Switzerland

Article of the week Asia August 11, 2024

Drone Attack on Rohingya Fleeing Myanmar Kills Dozens

Photo: AFP

Dozens of Rohingya civilians trying to escape Myanmar were tragically killed by a drone strike. Witnesses describe horrific and devastated sights, with survivors stumbling around among piles of bodies in a last-ditch effort to identify their slain and injured family members. As junta troops and rebel forces continue their war, Monday’s strike is the bloodiest documented assault on civilians in Rakhine state. Four witnesses, alongside activists and a diplomat, have provided chilling accounts of the drone strikes that targeted families gathering at the border, hoping to cross into neighboring Bangladesh for safety. “It was a scene of pure chaos and terror,” said one witness. “People were screaming, and there were bodies everywhere. I saw a mother clutching her dead child, unable to comprehend the reality of what had just happened.” Among the victims were a heavily pregnant woman and her 2-year-old daughter, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the attack. “The drone just appeared out of nowhere,” another survivor recounted. “We didn’t even have time to react. One moment we were waiting to cross the border, and the next, there was nothing but smoke and bodies.”

Rakhine state has been a flashpoint of violence and human rights abuses for years, with the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim minority, bearing the brunt of the suffering. The Myanmar military, also known as the Tatmadaw, has been accused of conducting systematic campaigns of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to Bangladesh since 2017.

The latest attack comes amid renewed fighting between junta forces and ethnic armed groups in the region. The civilian toll has been staggering, with countless families displaced, homes destroyed, and lives irreparably shattered.

The international community has reacted with outrage to the drone attack. Human rights organizations have condemned the violence, calling for immediate investigations and accountability. “This brutal assault on innocent civilians is a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” said a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch. “The Myanmar junta must be held accountable for these heinous crimes.”

Diplomatic efforts are also underway to address the escalating crisis. The United Nations has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Rakhine and explore avenues to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need.

For the Rohingya, this latest tragedy is a grim reminder of their precarious existence. Stripped of citizenship and facing relentless persecution, their plight remains one of the most pressing humanitarian crises in the world. The international community has a moral obligation to not only provide immediate relief but also work towards a sustainable solution that ensures the safety and dignity of the Rohingya people.

In the aftermath of Monday’s attack, survivors are left grappling with profound loss and trauma. “We have lost everything,” said a grieving father who lost his wife and two children in the strike. “All we wanted was to find safety, but even that was taken from us.”

There is constant violence and human rights breaches in Rakhine state, as demonstrated by the drone strike on Rohingya refugees who were leaving Myanmar. In order to safeguard vulnerable populations and hold those responsible accountable, immediate action must be taken while the entire world looks on in horror. In order to guarantee their safety, dignity, and freedom from dread, the Rohingya require more than simply our sympathies.

By Roxana Stanica

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