Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces mounting criticism for her government's handling of a crisis in Muslim-majority northern Rakhine State, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians.
The military operation has sharpened the tension between Suu Kyi's six-month-old civilian administration and the army, which ruled the country for decades and retains key powers, including control of ministries responsible for security.
Exposing the lack of oversight of the armed forces by the government, military commanders have ignored requests for information about alleged misconduct by soldiers for more than 10 days, according to a senior civilian official.
Suu Kyi Not Deeply Involved
While Myanmar's army-drafted constitution puts the military firmly in control of security matters, diplomats and aid workers say privately they are dismayed at Suu Kyi's lack of deeper involvement in the handling of the crisis.
Suu Kyi, who apart from effectively leading the government as state counsellor is also Myanmar's foreign minister, has pressed ahead with a busy schedule of overseas trips.
When fighting erupted in Rakhine, she departed for a four-day visit to India, and is due to leave again on Tuesday for a five-day trip to Japan.
Echoing previous criticisms of Suu Kyi's autocratic decision-making style an international observer familiar with the situation said:
Right now there’s only one person calling the shots – when she’s abroad, nothing gets done.
United Nations human rights experts have urged the government to investigate the allegations of abuses by troops and UN agencies have called for aid access to the area.
Suu Kyi has not directly commented on those calls or on statements from human rights monitors, although she has urged the military to exercise restraint and act within the law.
Soldiers Warn Villagers
Civilian and police officials have said it was not possible that security forces had committed abuses.
Last week, eight Rohingya women told Reuters reporters who visited their village that they have been raped by soldiers. Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay denied the allegations.
Since that report was published, about 400 soldiers again searched the village at the weekend, a resident said on Monday.
The resident, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said security personnel warned women in the village of U Shey Kya about talking to media.
There were no allegations of further assaults, but soldiers looted food stores, farming equipment and solar panels, according to the resident and Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, a monitoring group with a network of sources in the area.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had analysed satellite imagery taken on 22 October that showed "multiple areas of probable building destruction" in at least three villages where residents have also said that troops torched homes.
The government should end its blanket denial of wrongdoing and blocking of aid agencies, and stop making excuses for keeping international monitors from the area.Phil Robertson, Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch in Asia
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