Muslim Villages Razed in Myanmar

Satellite images show fire and destruction in northwest Myanmar, home to the Muslim Rohingya minority, Human Rights Watch said. Journalist and aid agencies face severe restrictions while trying to verify the reports.

Some 1,250 buildings have been destroyed in Myanmar military's crackdown on the Rohingya, activists from Human Rights Watch said on Monday, citing satellite images of villages near the Bangladeshi border, DPA reported. Previously, the Myanmar government said that fewer than 300 houses had been razed by militants aiming to "sow a seed of misunderstanding between the government troops and the people".

HRW's Asia Director Brad Adams called the new satellite images "alarming". Satellite sensors also detected fires burning in several villages.

"The apparent arson attacks against five Rohingya villages are a matter of grave concern for which the Burmese government needs to investigate and prosecute those responsible," he added.