South Sudan Refugees Describe Massacre by Government Soldiers
In South Sudan, refugees fleeing civil war say government soldiers indiscriminately killed civilians, slitting the throats of adults, running down children with a vehicle and shooting those who tried to flee. Hundreds of survivors recounted the violent scenes as they fled toward relative safety in Uganda.
Password Okot: “I had two brothers. One of them was arrested by the soldiers and slaughtered for no reason. The other one was trying to flee but was shot dead. I don’t even know what to do with their widows and children.”
Reuters said at least 17 people were killed by government soldiers, while some 3,000 refugees crossed into Uganda this week. South Sudan has been wracked by civil war since 2013, and the U.N. says parts of the country have entered a famine, with 100,000 people at risk of starvation.
Burmese Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Denies Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya
Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has denied that members of the Rohingya minority group have experienced ethnic cleansing. The remarks came in an interview with BBCcorrespondent Fergal Keane.
Fergal Keane: “Do you ever worry that you will be remembered as the champion of human rights, the Nobel laureate, who failed to stand up to ethnic cleansing in her own country?”
Aung San Suu Kyi: “No, because I don’t think there’s ethnic cleansing going on. I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what’s happening.”
Fergal Keane: “It’s what I think I saw there, I have to say.”
Amnesty International has accused the Burmese military of murdering, raping and torturing Rohingya civilians in an ongoing campaign the human rights group says may amount to crimes against humanity. At least 20,000 Rohingyas have been forced to flee into Bangladesh to escape the violence.
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