Myanmar replaces general in charge of Rakhine

International Desk: Myanmar's army has replaced the general in charge of Rakhine state, an army media officer said on Monday, where an army operation drove more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

No reason was given why Major General Maung Maung Soe was transferred from his post as the head of Western Command in Rakhine, where Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, launched a sweeping counter-insurgency operation in August.

"I don't know the reason why he was transferred," Major General Aye Lwinhe told Reuters as a UN official accused the military of conducting organised rape and other crimes against humanity.

"He wasn't moved into any position at present, he has been put in reserve."

He said the transfer was ordered on Nov 10 and Brigadier General Soe Tint Naing had been appointed as the new head of Western Command.

Made up of three divisions, Western Command is overseen by the Bureau of Special Operations, which reports to the office of the Commander in Chief of the military, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

A senior U.N. official has described the army’s actions in Rakhine as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar says the clearance operation was necessary for national security after Rohingya militants attacked 30 security posts and an army base in the state on August 25.

Source: Reuters

risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 13, 2017/AI