A/HRC/39/CRP.2
injured. One villager who escaped from Wet Kyein recalled that the military were firing at
the village from a bridge, using “launchers” and guns. As he tried to flee, carrying his 3-yearold son, he was shot in the thigh. The bullet went through his leg and entered his son’s chest,
who died on the spot.1628 Another interviewee, a medical shop owner, said he treated at least
20 people wounded by gunshots, and estimated that at least 100 people were shot and injured
while fleeing.1629 Similar accounts suggest that many others were also shot and killed in both
Wet Kyein and Pa Da Kar Ywar Thit.1630
759. The first-hand accounts of homes burning are corroborated by satellite images
analysed by UNOSAT showing the destruction of approximately 900 structures in Wet Kyein
and Pa Da Kar Ywar Thit village tracts. 1631
760. Some villagers who escaped from Wet Kyein and Pa Da Kar Ywar Thit, fled towards
Min Gyi.1632 The ethnic Rakhine chairperson of Min Gyi had reassured villagers, including
those who had fled from Pa Da Kar Ywar Thit and Wed Kyein, that it was safe to remain in
Min Gyi.1633 He told them that the soldiers would come but reassured the villagers not to flee,
as they would not be harmed.1634
761. On the morning of 30 August 2017, between 8 and 9am, Tatmadaw soldiers entered
Min Gyi, across the river and west of Pa Da Kar Ywar Thit, 1635 accompanied by armed ethnic
Rakhine, members of other ethnic groups and police security forces. 1636 They entered the
village from the north,1637 opened fire and began burning houses using “launchers” from the
village outskirts.1638 As the soldiers advanced, villagers fled. Some were able to flee to the
hills,1639 others fled towards a large sandbank area beside the river, known as the shore.1640
The soldiers then opened fire directly at the large number of people fleeing towards the
shore.1641 Many people were shot. One man reported:
When I came out of my house that morning on hearing gunshots and seeing the village
burning, I could see the military about half a kilometre away. They were firing their
weapons. I immediately ran from my house in the other direction, towards the river
and the shore. I think that everybody from my village was running towards the shore.
While I was running, there was a lot of shooting and I saw many people hit and falling
down. There were a huge amount of people at the shore. Five minutes after I arrived,
the military moved to the shore and encircled the group. By this point many houses in
the village were burning.1642
762. A helicopter was observed flying over the village during the morning. 1643 Some
described seeing a helicopter landing in the nearby ethnic Rakhine village1644 and unloading
containers of petrol.1645
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
180
LI-073.
QI-114.
CI-189, LI-105, LI-106, LI-128, RI-008, XI-006.
Satellite imagery analysis prepared for the Mission by UNOSAT.
CI-040, CI-042, CI-144, CI-197, LI-097, QI-059, QI-071, QI-114.
CI-040, CI-041, CI-042, EI-066, LI-078, LI-095, QI-058, QI-059, QI-071, WI-037, WI-038, YI-025,
V-064, V-065, V-066, V-069, V-072.
CI-197, LI-078, LI-095, QI-71, WI-038.
CI-046, CI-144, QI-066, QI-067, QI-068, WI-004, WI-037, WI-039, YI-025, V-064, V-065, V-066.
CI-197, CI-198, EI-066, LI-075, LI-078, LI-098, QI-030, QI-058, QI-059, QI-067, QI-071, YI-008, YI025.
CI-041, CI -197, QI-030, QI-058, QI-114, WI-037, YI-025.
CI-042, CI-046, CI-198, EI-102, QI-058, QI-059, QI-060, QI-067, QI-068, WI-039.
WI-038, WI-039, YI-025.
CI-046, CI-197, EI-066, EI-102, LI-075, QI-030, QI-058, QI-066, QI-067, QI-068, QI-071, WI-037.
CI-041, EI-102, LI-078, QI-066, QI-067, WI-037.
QI-067.
CI-041, CI-046, CI-197, EI-066, LI-078, LI-095, LI-098, LI-128, QI-058, QI-068, WI-037, YI-008,
YI-025.
CI-197, LI-078, LI-098, QI-058, YI-008, V-067.
CI-144, EI-066, LI-095, YI-025.