Burma: Scores of Rohingya Villages Bulldozed

(Rangoon, February 23, 2018) – New satellite imagery reveals the Burmese government has been bulldozing scores of depopulated Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine State, Human Rights Watch said today. The United Nations and Burma’s donors should call on the Burmese government to immediately halt the demolitions, which should be treated as crime scenes that should be preserved until independent, international investigations into mass atrocities are carried out.
Since late 2017, the Burmese government has cleared at least 55 villages of all structures and vegetation using heavy machinery. Most of these villages were among the 362 villages completely or partially destroyed by arson since August 25, 2017 during the security forces’ ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya. However, the satellite images show that at least two of the villages demolished were previously undamaged by fire and likely inhabitable. Hundreds of buildings have been demolished in 10 other villages partially destroyed by arson.
© Satellite imagery: Planet Labs, Inc. 2018