The US has sanctioned a Burmese general accused of leading a murderous campaign in the name of ethnic cleansing that has driven more than 600,000 members of a Muslim minority from the country.
The US Treasury Department announced that Maung Maung Soe, who oversaw the military operation in the northwest Rakhine state, was among 52 individuals and entities who were being sanctioned for alleged human rights violations and corruption.
It said it had “examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soe’s activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages”.
Among other individuals hit by sanctions were Benjamin Bol Mel, who has served as an adviser to South Sudan President Salva Kiir, former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, the daughter of Uzbekistan’s late dictator and the son of Russia’s prosecutor general.
The UN estimates that up to 650,000 Rohingya are now living in emergency camps inside of Bangladesh.
While the two countries have held talks about returning them to Burma, there is reluctance among Burmese officials to do so and concerns among the international community as to whether their safety could be guaranteed if they do return.
Myanmar denies allegations of human rights violations, saying its security forces have not targeted civilians and were responding to attacks by Rohingya militants in August. But it has blocked independent access to the region, including by the United Nations, and impeded delivery of humanitarian aid.
At least 6,700 Rohingya civilians were killed in the first month of the crackdown, and human rights groups have documented three large-scale massacres.
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