Violence and Persecutions Against Continue in Arakan

Thursday, 9th August 2012 

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is in Myanmar now to observe the situation of Arakan. He is due to visit to Sittwe on 10th August 2012. Authorities in Sittwe, as usual and as they did to UN Special Human Rights Rapportuer Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintanaon during his visit to Arakan, are taking all the steps and doing all the tricks to deceive Ahmet Davutoglu and to hide the crimes done against Rohingyas. “Authorities in Sittwe are threatening to kill us after his departure if we speak the truth to him. They (authorities) are trying to not let him meet us in our refugee camps. Instead, the government is arranging some of their puppets from Rohingya community and some Hindus (who look like Rohingyas) to meet him and trying to portray them as real Rohingya victims. But we will speak the truth if we get chance” said Maung Oo, a Rohingya victim from Sittwe a refugee camp. 

According to Rohingyas in Akyab and Kyauktaw, the fresh violence and the renewed persecutions against Rohingyas are all due to encouragement of the Vice President Sai Maung Kham. He was reportedly bribed Myanmar Kyat 1000 Lakhs by Rakhine leaders in order to take side with Rakhines in cleansing Rohingyas. There is no doubt that the authorities in Arakan state took part with Rakhine extremists in killing Rohingyas. However, it is quite shocking to see the highest authorities like Sai Maung Kham encouraging Rakhines to kill Rohingyas. As a result, just after his visit to Arakan, thousands of Rohingyas’ houses were burned and hundreds of Rohingyas were killed while displacing thousands. Another mastermind behind Rohingya genocide is Hmuu Zaw (Bomu Za Htay), the director of the president office, who has consistently instigating general Burmese people towards racial riot through social media like facebook. 

“In Shwe Hlaing village of Kyawk Taw, 11 Rohingyas were killed and their corpses were recovered. Of them, one was 95-year-old women and another was 85-year-old men. Besides, historical monuments, Documents and any other kinds of evidences that can prove Rohingyas’ centuries-old existence were mainly targeted by Rakhine extremists with the help of local authorities. The displaced Rohingyas in villages like Ambaari of Kyawktaw are severely facing starvation and in dire needs of foods, medicines and shelter as they are made to live in the open fields in the rainy season. Elsewhere, in Buthidaung, 21 Rohingyas were killed in the wave of recent violence against Rohingyas in Kyauktaw. Six dead bodies have been recovered so far” reported by Alam from Buthidaung. 

“And in Maung Daw, two Rohingyas from Sikdar Para of Maung Daw were killed in the police custody. Of them, one was a rice-seller called Cashetta (nickname) and another one was the caretaker of a Masjid in Sikdar Para. Their dead bodies were not returned to their respective families and thrown into Jungles nearby Kawarbil. A Rohingya man (brother-in-law of Abdul Hafiz, Rangoon) was arrested by Police. Besides, Police, in Maung Daw, in their greed for money, are confiscating Census-List-Paper of Rohingyas and demanding huge amount of money in return for them” Rahim from Maung Daw reported.