A/HRC/39/CRP.2 We were a group of men, approaching the check-post with sticks and stones. But then the military started shooting. We could not respond as we only had sticks and stones. It was not really like a military attack by us, it was a protest or uprising, claiming our rights.2371 Allegations of human rights abuses committed by ARSA 1050. ARSA has been accused of committing abuses against both the Rohingya population and other ethnic minority groups in Rakhine State. These allegations are serious and warrant full investigation. The Mission itself has been constrained by its lack of access to Myanmar. For its investigation on the 2016 and 2017 situation in Rakhine State, because of the massexodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh, the Mission had access to large numbers of Rohingya victims and was able to conduct interviews in line with its established methodology. It had no comparable access to victims of alleged abuses committed by ARSA, given that most remained in Rakhine State. In line with protection of sources and genuine fear of reprisals for those cooperating, the Mission did not reach out in other ways to those affected communities inside Myanmar. 1051. Furthermore, even in Bangladesh, the Mission noted a widespread reluctance of Rohingya to talk about ARSA and any alleged abuses committed by it. It may be that Rohingya are fearful of ARSA or that they wish to avoid detracting from the gravity of the violations perpetrated against themselves. The secretive nature of ARSA and lack of knowledge about it may have also contributed. Killing of Rohingya informants 1052. Allegations of abuses perpetrated by ARSA against Rohingya have mostly concerned the mistreatment or killing of Rohingya individuals suspected of providing information to Myanmar authorities. ARSA has stated that its objective was only to attack Tatmadaw or security related targets and has denied killing civilians. 2372 However, it used threats and intimidation, including violence, against the population to protect its plans and activities and to ensure secrecy. Informants, known locally as “tabbe”, were present within the Rohingya community and provided information to the Myanmar authorities. ARSA took steps to control them, including through beatings and killings.2373 One interviewee stated that, just before the August 2017 violence, he was approached by a religious scholar to monitor the activities of three persons suspected of passing information on ARSA activities to the BGP in Myin Hlut (Mayrulla).2374 1053. On 29 June 2017, the Global New Light of Myanmar, a government newspaper, published a list of 35 alleged incidents involving the killing of 38 civilians in Maungdaw Township between October 2016 and June 2017. Eleven of these incidents were reportedly perpetrated by “men wearing black masks”. 2375 Other sources refer to other alleged killings of Rohingya in this period, reportedly also perpetrated by ARSA. Collectively, allegations suggest that more than 50 “informants” may have been killed by ARSA in this period. 2376 1054. While the Mission was unable to verify each of these specific incidents, credible reports indicate that there were killings of Rohingya and that responsibility for many of the killings may be attributable to ARSA.2377 The Mission received information from two people acknowledging the killing of two informants in U Shey Kya village tract, Maungdaw Township.2378 Other sources, referring to the same killings, stated that they occurred after the 2371 2372 2373 2374 2375 2376 2377 2378 250 LI-121, BM-003. ARSA, Press Release, ARSA/PR/09/2017 of 30 May 2017. LI-122, QI-016, QI-102, QI-103, XI-008, YI-010, YI-022, V-0940. YI-100. Global New Light of Myanmar, “List of civilian murdered in Maungtaw District (2016 October to 2017 June 27)” (29 June 2017). LM-017, V-094, V-115, V-075. BM-003, LM-007, LM-017, QM-013, V-067, V-075. CI-137, XI-009.