Myanmar’s government has announced the make-up of a new commission tasked with investigating human rights abuses during the crisis that plagued northern Rakhine State last year. On July 30, the President’s Office announced that the four-member “independent commission” will be comprised of two foreigners and two Myanmar citizens. The international members are Ms Rosario Manalo, a career diplomat from the Philippines, and Japan’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Kenzo Oshima. The Myanmar members are lawyer U Mya Thein and economist U Aung Tun Thet, the former UN official who has already been involved in other government-formed commissions on Rakhine State. “The Independent Commission will investigate the allegations of human rights violations and related issues, following the terrorist attacks by ARSA,” the statement said, referring to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which launched attacks on police and army outposts in late August, leading to an army crackdown that saw 700,000 people flee over the border into Bangladesh. Myanmar’s government has largely denied any wrongdoing during its Rakhine operation.