Myanmar’s latest Rakhine panel is another gimmick

Judging by the statement from Myanmar’s government, the new commission it has launched to investigate human rights abuses in Rakhine state is little more than a publicity stunt.
 The panel appears to be a last-ditch effort by Nay Pyi Taw to stave off internal criticism of atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims under the auspices of the government.
Headed by retired Filipino and Japanese diplomats, together with two Myanmar nationals, the commission has been tasked to “address reconciliation, peace, stability and development in Rakhine”.
This so-called independent commission will “investigate the allegations of human rights violations and related issues, following the terrorist attacks by ARSA”, according to the Myanmar government statement.
ARSA, or the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, is a little-known rag-tag, lightly armed rebel outfit that came to the world’s attention in August last year when it launched simultaneous attacks against 30 police and military outposts in Rakhine state. 
A few YouTube posts and Twitter statements every now and then are pretty much all we hear from this group. Observers and security experts have yet to figure out exactly who is behind ARSA. 
Some even suggest that it might have been created – or at least bolstered – by Myanmar’s powerful military, the Tatmadaw, as a pretext to launch an all-out offensive against the Rohingya Muslims. About 720,000 Rohingya were driven out of their homes to join another 200,000 who had crossed into Bangladesh years earlier to flee atrocities committed by Myanmar authorities.
The Rohingya arrived with testimonies of widespread murder, rape, torture and arson at the hands of Myanmar security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs.
The UN human rights agency called the atrocities a classic case of ethnic cleansing. Powerful words, indeed, and ones that Myanmar cannot ignore.
The move to set up the commission came amid growing calls from members of the international community for the International Criminal Court to probe the atrocities against the Rohingya. UN Security Council delegations visited the country two months ago and the outcome was not good for Myanmar.
But the government is sorely mistaken if it believes this so-called “independent” commission of inquiry will wash away past crimes. It might buy the regime a little more breathing space but pressure is building and time is running out.
The Rohingya had their citizenship status stripped away in 1982 by a military government that regarded them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Myanmar refuses to even refer to them as “Rohingya”, insisting on Bengali to suggest that these Muslims are illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
“Given the weight of evidence collected by Amnesty International, the UN, and the media, this CoI [Commission of Inquiry] is tantamount to a rude gesture, not a genuine inquiry,” said Yangon-based analyst David Mathieson, who called the new commission a “political gimmick”.
Members of the new commission include two foreign and two Myanmar nationals: former Philippine deputy foreign minister Rosario Manalo, Japan’s former UN representative Kenzo Oshima, the former chair of Myanmar’s constitutional tribunal U Mya Thein and Aung Tun Thet, who lead the Myanmar government body supposedly seeking resolutions to the Rohingya crisis.
The pre-existing commission, set up by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi last December, is experiencing a crisis of its own after two prominent members – former Thai ambassador Kobsak Chutikul and US diplomat Bill Richardson – expressed frustration with Myanmar and quit their posts. That commission has proved to be little more than a distraction and shield from international pressure.
The junta in Thailand has moved closer to Myanmar and thus retains influence with Nay Pyi Taw. The Thai government, elected or not, needs to keep in mind the atrocities committed against the Rohingya by its counterparts over the border.
The junta should not be blinded by its new-found friendship with a Myanmar administration that, despite its democratic façade, is still overseen by hardline generals who have no qualms about allowing their soldiers to rape and kill ethnic groups so they can gain access to the valuable resources on their land.