US 'deeply troubled' by escalating violence in Rakhine

The US is "deeply troubled" by reports of escalating violence and intercommunal tension in Rakhine State of Myanmar, said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller today.

In a statement, citing alarming reports on towns being burned, residents, including Rohingyas, being displaced, and the dissemination of disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech, Miller said that such incidents may further raise the risk of atrocities in the war-hit country

"The military's previous acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity targeting Rohingyas, in addition to its history of stoking intercommunal tensions in Rakhine State and elsewhere across the country, underscore the grave dangers to civilians," read the statement.

"We call on Burma's military, as well as all armed actors, to protect civilian populations and allow for unhindered humanitarian access," it added.

The statement called upon its international partners to condemn increased violence in Myanmar and hold perpetrators of human rights accountable. It also requested protection for those fleeing the violence, and penalties or punishments for armed actors who commit such offences.