Myanmar Military's 33rd Light Infantry Division Is Blamed For Deadly Violence At Weekend

Myanmar's military is deployed to confront anti-military coup protesters (Twitter/@YGNGoldenLand)

JAKARTA - The UN Special Rapporteur for Myanmar Tom Andrews said, the 33rd Light Infantry Division, which was deployed by the Myanmar military regime to face the anti-coup mob on February 1, was responsible for several violent and deadly acts in the Mandalay area, Myanmar.

At least two people, including a teenage boy, were shot dead as security forces shot live and rubber bullets into a crowd of anti-military regimes near a government shipyard on Sunday in Myanmar's second-largest city. While hundreds of others were injured.

Media and residents watched nearly 100 security personnel consisting of soldiers and riot police on the more than a dozen army trucks that were deployed on Sunday.

After the fatal attack, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights situation of Myanmar Tom Andrews wrote on Twitter that the soldiers reportedly involved in the repressive actions in Mandalay were from the 33rd Light Infantry Division - the same division responsible for the crimes of mass atrocities against the Rohingya in 2017.

Images taken by local media show troops at the scene wearing camouflage with arm badges reading '33'.

After the Mandalay shooting, Andrews condemned the "dangerous escalation by the junta in what appears to be a war against the Myanmar people".

“From water cannons to rubber bullets, to tear gas and now hardened troops are shooting at peaceful protesters. This madness must end, now!" said Andrews, as quoted from The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar military (Twitter/@MyatWutYeeAung1)

Saturday's deadly shootings led to the second and third deaths related to protests in Myanmar since people across the country took to the streets on February 6 to oppose the military regime.

Meanwhile, Reuters in a special report some time ago said the infantry division was among the two units that took a leading role in the 2017 conflict, where the Myanmar military carried out operations in western Myanmar, causing 700,000 Rohingya to flee Myanmar. The operation is known to have been followed by the 33rd and 99th Light Infantry Divisions.

The report said the 33rd Light Infantry Division led a military operation in the village of Inn Din, where Reuters exposed the massacre of 10 Rohingya men and boys by soldiers assisted by several parties.

In response to the coup and violence against civilians in Myanmar, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged countries to immediately impose targeted economic sanctions, such as global travel bans, and asset freezes on all cabinet members and the State Administration Council (SAC) to business conglomerates. military Myanmar Economic Holding Corporation (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC). In addition, they are pressing for sanctions on the entity's subsidiaries and all the directors and officers of the military conglomerate.

HRW also asked the UN Security Council to impose a global arms embargo. In addition, HRW also urged that countries should ask Russia and China to cut their sales and aid to Myanmar, as well as Ukraine, Turkey, and Israel.

"Such action must block the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons, ammunition and other military-related equipment, including dual-use items such as vehicles, communications and surveillance equipment, as well as the provision of military training, intelligence, and other military assistance," HRW calls.

The 33rd Light Infantry Division was reportedly involved in the lethal attacks in Mandalay today - the same division responsible for mass atrocity crimes against the Rohingya in 2017. A dangerous escalation by the junta in what appears to be a war against the people of Myanmar.

— UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews (@RapporteurUn) February 20, 2021