Myanmar's military denies allegations of killing 76 villagers in Rakhine

Myanmar's military government has denied allegations by the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group, that it killed 76 villagers in Byine Phyu village in Rakhine state. 

The state-controlled media reported on Wednesday that the military spokesperson, Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun, said troops entered the village on May 29 to search for Arakan Army members and detained about 20 people for interrogation. 

He stated that three suspects were shot while trying to seize a gun but denied any mass killing. 

The Arakan Army claimed that about 170 soldiers, along with armed allies, arrested everyone in the village and killed 76 people, treating captives brutally and raping three women. 

The allegations could not be independently verified due to travel restrictions. 

The UN human rights office has expressed concern over new violence in Rakhine, warning of attacks on Rohingya civilians by the military and ethnic armed groups. 

The Rohingya, who have lived in Myanmar for generations, face significant prejudice and are often denied citizenship and basic rights. 

The ongoing conflict in Rakhine has raised fears of renewed violence against the Rohingya minority, similar to the 2017 campaign that forced 740,000 to flee to Bangladesh.

(Inputs from PTI)