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Myanmar: The Hidden Truth

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar this year to escape being killed, raped and abused. Could it amount to genocide? Justin Rowlatt investigates.

In August, 11 years old, Monzur Ali saw things no child should ever see. Military helicopters landed on the football pitch in his village in Northern Rakhine in Myanmar. "We didn't really want to leave my village but there was a lot of shooting. Some people were hanged from trees and shot. The dead bodies were left hanging", Monzur told Panorama. He and his family fled the country and are now living across the border in a giant refugee camp in Bangladesh. Like Monzur, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar this year to escape being killed, raped and abused by security forces and local Buddhists. It's been described by the UN as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing - but could it amount to genocide? Using powerful eyewitness testimony, government documents and previously unseen footage, reporter Justin Rowlatt reveals how the Rohingya population has been isolated and weakened over recent years; and shows that the attacks were part of a highly planned and organised operation.

30 minutes

Last on

Christmas Eve 2017 15:30GMT

Credits

Role Contributor
Reporter Justin Rowlatt
Director Alys Cummings
Producer Alys Cummings
Executive Producer Diana Martin
Editor Rachel Jupp

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