Myanmar: Rohingya Children Among Hundreds Reportedly Killed in Drone Attack

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Facts

• New witness reports and video footage coming out of Myanmar appear to show that dozens of ethnic minority Rohingya, including children, were among hundreds reportedly killed in a drone attack last week.^[1]
• The attack, which took place on Aug. 5 in the coastal town of Maungdaw in the state of Rakhine, targeted Rohingya as they attempted to cross the Naf River into Bangladesh. Rakhine was the site of the mass murder of Rohingya in 2016 and 2017 at the hands of the military.^[2]
• Witnesses and activists claim the the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group, which has been fighting the military junta, was behind the attack, though the group has blamed it on the junta.^[3]
• The Muslim minority Rohingya, over 730K of whom fled the majority Buddhist country in 2017, have reportedly been fleeing Rakhine for weeks as the AA has gained ground in the north, which is home to many Muslims.^[4]
• This comes after the AA was accused of setting fire to the Rohingya majority town Buthidaung in May, reportedly killing at least 45 and forcing another 200k to flee. Regarding the latest attack, however, the AA said it was 'saddened' by the news.^[3][2]

Sources: ^[1]Guardian, ^[2]The Telegraph, ^[3]CNN and ^[4]DAWN.COM.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. The situation in Myanmar has only grown worse as both the military junta and rebel groups target the Rohingya. While the junta drove hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh in 2016 and 2017, the rebel Arakan Army has since taken control of the Rakhine region and committed its own atrocities. As Bangladesh closes its borders, the Rohingya are now permanently stuck between two warring factions, both of whom neglect their human rights obligations.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by RT and Irrawaddy. The tragedy in Myanmar is part of a larger problem facing the entire region, thanks in part to Western intrusion. Firstly, the US hasn't taken a side in Myanmar but rather condemned the junta as a dictatorship and the freedom-fighting rebels as 'terrorists.' The US and UK also played a role in collapsing Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh, which will likely disturb India and Pakistan as they try to deal with the Rohingya refugee crisis.