Many dozens of Rohingya, including children, killed in drone attack while fleeing Myanmar, witnesses say
NBCAug 08
Myanmar: Rohingya Children Among Hundreds Reportedly Killed in Drone Attack
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Above: People warm themselves by a fire in a Rohingya refugee camp on January 23, 2020 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Image copyright: Allison Joyce/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The 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.
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.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
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
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.
