Narinjara News, 9 March 2023

The newly established special investigation tribunal by the Burmese military council begins hearing ontestimonies from various stakeholdersaiming to probe the 2017 massacre of Muslim residents in Chut Pyin village under Rathedaung township of Rakhine State.

The tribunal was formed on 24 January.

A witness informed Narinjara News that the tribunal is currently investigating two Rakhine individuals (including Chut Pyinvillage administrator) as well as threemembers of the Thet tribe.

The village administrator and four others were summoned to the tactical operation command center inButhidaung township on 26 February,where they were questioned from 8 to 11 am.

The recent hearing involves re-examination of the probes, conducted by the former special investigationtribunal in 2017 and 2020.

The special investigation tribunal led by major general Myat Kyaw was formed on 2 July 2020 to find out theperpetrators involved in massacresof Chut Pyin along with Maung Nu (Monu Para) village under Buthidaung township that took place inAugust 2017.

The tribunal claimed that it had already examined thorough investigations into the incident ofMaung Nu village. However, regardingthat in Chut Pyin village, it was temporarily suspended because of the Covid-19 epidemic and most of the residents deserted the village following the militarycrackdown and atrocities in the locality.

The junta-controlled media reported on 24 January that as major general Myat Kyaw had retired, thespecial investigation tribunal was revamped.

Here brigadier general Soe Tint has replaced Myat Kyaw as the chairperson, where colonel Than Hlaingand colonel Myo Aung have joinedas members.

The newly formed tribunal will present its report to the military court, and it will declare thepunishment.

An individual who attended the hearing in person said that it has not issued any further summons regardingthe Chut Pyin incident.

“No further communication or investigation has been initiated bythe tribunal following thehearing,” he added.

After turning a blind eye to the Chut Pyin village incident fora long time, the militarycouncil resumes the investigation may be because of international pressure, said U Aung Thaung Shwe, a former Pyithu Hluttaw (House of Representatives)member from Buthidaung township.

On the midnight of 25 August 2017, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked more than 30 borderguard police outposts. Military battalionsin the townships of Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Rathedaung started a crackdown against the armed insurgent group.

Myanmar military personnel torched hundreds of houses and massacred a number of people in both the villages.

On 21 January 2020, the independent commission of inquiry released a report stating that around 100individuals including ARSA rebels and Muslimcivilians in Chut Pyin village and another 100 to 200 in Maung Nu village were killed.

The systematic campaign in 2017 resulted in a bloodshed where Rohingya people and other Muslims of RakhineState were targeted. An estimated 700,000Rohingya people fled to neighboring Bangladesh, stated various international organizations.

It also left many Rakhine, Mro, Thet, Daingnet, Maramagyi and Hindu people dead in the incident. Tens ofthousands of scared Rakhine peopleincluding tribal families were compelled to flee to nearby places.