Myanmar Army found Mass grave of 28 Hindus killed by Rohingya militants

Naypyidaw, September 25: Myanmar Army has discovered a mass grave of Hindus that were killed by Rohingya militants in Rakhine state. Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacks in August led to a military crackdown leading to Rohingya migration. More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month, telling stories of Myanmar soldiers teaming up with vigilante mobs to slaughter civilians and burn entire villages to the ground.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the discovery of the 28 bodies on Sunday.

A senior police officer in northern Rakhine told AFP they had been "buried with 10-15 bodies in each hole." Unverifiable photos published by the government’s Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on grass near two mud pits where they were found.

Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest.

Religious tensions have simmered for years, erupting into sporadic bouts of violence. Around half of their estimated 1.1 million populations have fled over the last year. Northern Rakhine is also home to ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus and a myriad of other groups.

Bangladesh Foreign minister Mahmood Ali informed that around 300,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh in last two weeks, taking the total number of Myanmar nationals currently living here to 700,000 from 400,000.