Myanmar army sets up court to probe Rohingya atrocity allegations

Myanmar’s army said on Monday that it had set up a military court to investigate its conduct during a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017. The harsh policies forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, Reuters said. The court, comprised of a major-general and two colonels, will investigate events in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August 2017, the military said in a statement. It was posted on the website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the army commander-in-chief. The court will respond to allegations made by the United Nations and rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, accusing security forces of mass killings, rape and arson. Myanmar forces launched their offensive in the Rakhine state in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border.