Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to 10-year prison terms with hard labor for their roles in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in the Rakhine State village on Inn Din in Sept. 2017, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief announced this morning.
鈥淪even officials and other ranks of the Tatmadaw who have to abide by the and rules were found to have violated the Article 71 of the Defence Services Act because they [got] involved in the murder, a civilian crime,鈥 read the .
The military’s investigation of what it initially called a聽鈥渧iolation of the rules of engagement鈥 began聽on Jan. 10, 2017. In a rare聽admission of wrongdoing,聽 the army announced that it would聽hold the perpetrators responsible, though it still maintained that the victims were 鈥淏engali terrorists.鈥
That聽same day, charges were officially brought against Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under the Official Secrets Act in response to their attempts to investigate and expose the massacre.
Following the聽publication in February of the聽Reuters reporters鈥 on the massacre, which contradicted the claim that the victims were militants, government spokesman Zaw Htay announced that 16 people were being investigated, including seven soldiers, three police officers, and six civilians. The army鈥檚 announcement this morning said that 鈥渓egal action is being taken against the [Myanmar Police Force] members and civilians under the respective laws, procedures and rules,鈥 but it did not mention what charges they are facing or whether they have been convicted.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) estimates that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the first month of the military鈥檚 most recent crackdown on Rohingya communities, which began following an assault by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on security installations in northern Rakhine State on Aug. 25, 2017.
Aside from the Inn Din massacre, Myanmar鈥檚 government and military have denied allegations of rights abuses聽and continue to聽restrict access to the area聽by rights investigators and reporters.
