A new video released through a human rights group includes the confessions of two Myanmar military deserters who allegedly perpetrated the mass killing and rape of Rohingya Muslims in 2017. The footage of the soldiers represents the first admission by former members of the Myanmar military detailing operations that specifically targeted the ethnic minority through an expansive campaign of violence occurring in the Rakhine State. The UN and affiliate human rights organizations have classified the events as “having the hallmarks of genocide.”
The video includes the confessions of Privates Myo Win Tun and Zaw Naing Tun. The video was allegedly filmed by a rebel group known as the Arakan Army in July, and released to the non-government human rights organization Fortify Rights. The NGO has investigated the footage and found it to be credible. However, it is unclear if the men made the video confessions under duress or if they surrendered to the Arakan Army as deserters.
Read More: Myanmar soldiers confess to mass murder of Rohingya Muslims in new video