Strong condemnation statement of the ULA/AA concerning artillery fire and aerial bombardments by Myanmar Army that killed sixteen Innocent civilians and other twenty civilians injured on 7, 12 and 13 April 2020
14 April 2020
Myanmar Army is not only losing the war but also suffering from brittle morale in the combats in Arakan. Therefore, Myanmar armed forces have been conducting moral enhancement by launching countless aerial bombardments and artillery fire in order to improve morality of their incompetent troops. At the same time, the Myanmar Army that is a war criminals, colonialists and state-terrorists organization has brazenly been attacking like mad dogs and killing innocent civilians in upholding their Bamar racism and Burmanization policy.
The world’s longest internet mobile communications shutdown and total media blackout in Arakan is a state of preparedness of Myanmar troops to commit fresh war crimes. In addition to extrajudicial detentions and killings of civilians, launching airstrikes in the use of military helicopters and fighter jets and firing heavy artillery on an unprecedented scale by the Myanmar armed forces towards civilian villages in Arakan are blatantly committing more than crimes against humanity in a campaign of ethnic cleansing amid the world is struggling against the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, their atrocities against people of Arakan can be described as a crime of genocide. The following examples are the genocidal acts of the Myanmar Army.
(1) By the aerial bombardments of the Myanmar Army at 13:30 pm on 7 April 2020, seven civilians were killed, eight were injured and seven houses were burned down in Nan-Chaung-Wa village of Paletwa Township.
(2) Due to artillery fire by the Myanmar Army at 21:15 pm on 12 April 2020, a civilian died on the spot, other three civilians were seriously injured, some houses were burned down and some animals were also killed in Ah Lel Gyun village in Dar Let Chaung tract of Ann Township.
(3) Without any clashes breaking out between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army in the area at 8:00 am on 13 April 2020, the shelling from No.550 Light Infantry Battalion of the Myanmar Army based in Ponnagyun had killed eight innocent civilians from Kyauk-Seik village in Ponnagyun township and other thirteen villagers were injured.
It is clearly seen that by giving unjustifiable reasons the 5th Military Operations Command (MOC-5) based in Taung-Goke and the 55th Light Infantry Division of the Myanmar Army have blocked food and medicine deliveries in order to hinder the response actions for the emergency prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic and not to reach urgently needed life-saving foods and medicines to the hands of IDPs who are now sheltering in the refugee camps after fleeing their homes in fear of the atrocities of the Myanmar troops. Such horrendous act of the Myanmar Army is the best example of a crime against humanity in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against all peoples of Arakan irrespective of majority and minority.
Along with their families, we are deeply saddened for the loss of the civilian lives in the Myanmar Army’s barbaric attacks. We strongly condemn the heinous acts of the Myanmar Army. We warn the Myanmar Army to stop their campaign of ethnic cleansing against the civilian population of Arakan. The vicious cycle of retaliations and grudges between both parties will be unstoppable if the Myanmar armed forces are continuing to commit such inhumane acts in Arakan.
United League of Arakan/Arakan Army
