On Saturday, parliamentarians from Southeast Asia issued a fervent appeal to the United Nations, ASEAN, and the broader international community, urging swift action to prevent mass atrocities against Rohingyas besieged by the Arakan Army in northern Rakhine State.

Expressing grave concern, Mercy Chriesty Barends, Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and an Indonesian MP, stated, "We are profoundly alarmed by reports of the Arakan Army's indiscriminate attacks on Rohingya civilians in northern Rakhine State. Immediate international intervention is crucial to prevent further catastrophic loss of life and potential genocide."

APHR has received credible reports indicating that since Friday, May 17, Rohingya civilians in Buthitaung town and nearby villages have been subjected to heavy weapon attacks by the Arakan Army. Eyewitnesses report that Buthitaung Town has been set ablaze, with residents forced to flee, including APHR Board Member and former MP of Buthitaung, U Shwe Maung, whose home was among those destroyed.

There are also unconfirmed accounts of mass killings of Rohingyas by the Arakan Army in several villages within Buthitaung township, including Tatmin Chaung, Kyauk Phyu Taung, Letwedat Pyinshay, and Ngakyi Dauk.

This escalation echoes the horrific events of 2017, when Myanmar security forces conducted a "clearance operation" in Rakhine State, resulting in widespread massacres, torture, rape, and the displacement of over 730,000 people. In response, Gambia, supported by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), filed a case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019, accusing the country of genocide.

In January 2020, the ICJ issued provisional measures, ordering Myanmar to prevent genocidal acts against the Rohingya. However, neither the Myanmar military junta nor the Arakan Army has adhered to these orders, as noted in a message from Jakarta.

Barends warned, "Without immediate action, countless lives will be lost, and the displacement crisis will worsen. The international community must not turn a blind eye to these ongoing atrocities. We urgently call on the UN, ASEAN, ASEAN member states, and all nations that value human life to take decisive action to halt this brutality."

The appeal highlights the dire need for global intervention to protect the Rohingya and uphold human rights in the region.

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