Maungdaw, Arakan State: The security force –Burma border security force (Nasaka)- and Rakhine killed more Rohingya recently in Maungdaw, said a village admin from Maungdaw.
“Oo Daung Nasaka camp officer Pyro Way Aung and Oo Daung village administration officer Thein Aung ( Rakhine) with other Nasaka personnel went to Salim Ullah home in Oo Daung village at about 10:00pm on August 16. The Nasaka officer and his group went to Salim home with a plan of attempt to rape his dauhghter where Salim Ullah family has three members – he, his wife and his daughter (young lady).”
The Nasaka officer and Village admin enter to his house for checking of family list without calling any village admin member expect the village admin officer. When the officer went near to young lady to attempt to rape but, the father block the officer to reach his daughter. The officer was drunk and shot to old man with his gun. The old man was hit at his arm but the officer arrested him with an allegation of attacking on duty officer when the villagers rushed to the home for hearing the gun shot. Salim was kept at camp and took photograph with sword then sent him to the area commander office, said an elder from village.
Similarly, Army and Rakhine attacked the Fokira Bazar village where they killed 8 Rohingyas on August 16, according to an elder from Maungdaw.
Besides, Rakhines from Taungpro killed 6 Rohingyas on August 6 and the villagers found the dead bodies of Rohingyas near the stream which was informed to Nasaka . The Nasaka ordered the villagers to bury the dead bodies. The Taungpro villagers are not known the dead bodies and the realized that the dead Rohingyas are outsider, said a villager.
“May be, the Rakhine killed the Rohingyas who try to cross the border for recent riot and not able to stay at their home.”
update news of killing in Lambagone village, Maungdaw
Maungdaw, Arakan State: Army killed five Rohingya and 17 injured in Lambagona village while army open fired the village yesterday at about 10; 00pm, said a villager from Lambagona village.
The location of Lambagonena where the army and Rakhine killed Rohingyas
“The army stationed at Zawmatat village tract and Rakhines from Tharaekonbon (New settler) attacked Lambagona village to loot and harass the villagers at about 10:00pm where the villagers scream out for help and nearby villagers rushed to the spot to save the villagers of Lambagona. The army open fired to the villagers who rushed to the spot.”
“Abdul Salam son of Amir Housson, Kawtiza wife of Yasein and Asgar son of Rahamat Ullah who is only 7 days only were killed on the spot and 17 Rohingya villagers wounded where two Rohingyas are very serious conditions. The army round up the village and no one was allowed to go outside. The faith of two serious wounded people was unknown.”
The army and Rakhines arrested three people; Madu, 30, son of Mohamed Yasein, Kawlim Ullah, 28, son of Mohamed Yasein and Nurul Haque 35, said a villagers.
The concerned authorities are organizing the Rohingya community to stay peacefully in Maungdaw with Rakhine, but the security force and Rakhines are attacking Rohingya villagers other side. How the security force and Rakhine attacked the Rohingyas villages without information of concerned authority, said an elder Maungdaw.
The Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed concern for the Rohingya people in Burma and said it will take up the Burmese government’s handling of unrest with the U.N. Security Council, at the 4th Extra-ordinary Summit on 14-15 August 2012 in Makkah Al-Mukaramah. H.E. Prof. Dr. Ihsanoglu – the OIC Secretary General- also made it very clear to the Burmese government that 1.5 billion Muslims of the world and the 57 nations of the OIC stood solidly behind the Rohingya Muslims.
Burma’s human rights commission and Burmese President say there is no need for an investigation into the communal violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya that broke out in June.
The United Nations released a report on August 16, saying the number of people displaced by the conflict in Rakhine state has exceeded 68,500, and is still rising, with new arrivals from Kyauktaw, Sittwe, and Maungdaw, where sporadic incidents of violence are still occurring.
“We should keep in our mind and hearts, as we approach Eid, the Burmese Muslims-Rohingya- who were not even allowed to pray in Ramadan, neither in Masjids, nor in their homes,” according to Burma Task Force USA facebook.
There is strong evidence the overwhelmingly Burmese Buddhist government is behind the campaign against the Rohingya, motivated by racism, said Dr Maung Zarni, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics.
B: Regarding to the criminal case from Kyaut Ni Maw (the place where Rakhine Buddhist “Ma Thi Dar Htway” was raped and killed. This is the source that ignite this Rohingya Genocide). The Rakhine sparked this riot saying that you Muslim did such a bad thing to us. Actually, we have been living here since our ancestry. There were no Rakhine here at that time. All places are belonging to Muslim. The Rakhine immigrated here bit by bit later.The Muslim have been discriminated and suppressed so that they moved to Yangon and foreign (for their better life). This village is called Rohingya para by Muslim terms and we can call Zay Haung Maw Late for the whole village generally. This Zay Haung Maw Late village can be divided by the three wards of Kyaung Tan Lan, Yuu Pa Taung and Maw Late. There were 120 Muslim homes but they sold out theirs homes to Rakhine and moved out to the safer and better place as there are such suppression and discrimination. Frequently, if there were some problems, they made huge suppression towards us, minority Muslim. By the time this riot was began to broken out, we gave hundred calls to the police station and polices asked us who were marching to your villages who were making problem and noise, whether Muslim or Rakhine. When we answered that they were Rakhine and the police said that “Ok, then, it’s not important and no problem” and ended the phone conversation. There are so many cases like that in the past. It has been 4 times that they committed such violence to us when in 1985, 2000, 2004 and 2012 respectively. This 2012 riot is the most inhumane case. We assumed that this 2012 case is like the same case in the year mentioned above so that we didn’t go out and we remained inside of our homes when the violence was blasted. If we would know that this is such a critical crisis, we would run away and moved out from this place in advance. And why we still remained inside our home is there is a Mosque in our village and we don’t want to go away parting from this Mosque. And I m not so much in desperate on what people lost theirs homes and prosperities but I am very much in miss our Mosque and our Holy Quran which were burnt and destroyed.
A: I heard that they are injures case currently?
B: Yes, in my family, 5 people got injured. My 3 children are living in The Chaung (Refugee camp) currently and another one is in the other place. Here my head got injured as well. (The interviewee is showing his head). The person who is familiar with us in our village did not beat us but the person who is not familiar beat us. They are from our village too. They beat us saying that “U Muslim beat and kill our Rakhine in Maung Daw”. On 10th Jun, 2012 at 8:00 AM, they were throwing stones onto our Mosque severely. There were so many Rakhine who threw the stones harshly. The involvers are Ya.Wa.Ta (Authority), the employer Saw Win Kyaw and groups from Sein Video and how the authorized person U Hla Wai from Kyaung Tan Lan told to Rakhine is “don’t burn, don’t blast fire. Do what ever except theirs death”. Why he asked not to set fire is Rakhine homes and Muslim homes are near each other and they were afraid of theirs houses would be on fire too. Previously, there were 120 Muslim homes in our village of Zay Haung Maw Late but now only 36 were left as the rest sold out theirs home (to shift to safer place). Around 10:30 or 11:00 , I heard with my ears that the business man who live near to AZG made conversation with the Authorized person U Hla Wai from Kyaung Tan Lan ( when the riot is on going) to separate and to control the groups of Rakhine and Muslim such as he will control the Muslim and he want U Hal Wai to control the Rakhine. But he did not do instead he run away and was hiding in his homes. And this U Hla Wai did not speak out upon such violence towards us by Rakhine. We were hiding in our home to avoid this stones throwing by Rakhine. But, they push theirs knives into our home from every corners so that we family kept ourselves to station at the center of homes not to catch up by Rakhines knives. And our one window leave was opened and one guy said “Aunty, I m not involve in this riot, but my friends are”. So, we jumped out from another very high window and we assembled at that place. But they tied our children’s body saying that we would not do anything and looked for my husband. They threatened me that if my husband would not come out from home, they would search inside and if they would find they would kill him then. (Husband) So I came out leaving the two old women in home. Once they saw me they started to beat me with steel rod. Here is the effected arm resulted from this beating (the man is showing the injuries) I can’t straight my hand, need to bend like this all the time and now I m feeling dizzy always. The violence was sparked in this way, at 8:00 Am, they did throw stones and arrested every body to beat the head. They beat only head.
________________________________________________________________ Interview with Rohingya Part-2
A: Interviewer B: interviewee (one couple)
B: And they brought us along with them saying that “you are required to send to police station”. When we reach to Yat Kwat Sone (Sone Ward), where there are a lot of Rakhine, almost all are Buddhist. So we though that we/our lives are going to be finish. My family except my two sons Saw Moe Kyaw and Saw Hein kyaw were brought to this ward. So we family were reciting the kalaymar (Muslim recite this verse when they are nearly to die). My son Saw Hein Kyaw was beaten with steel rod and he currently he is suffering dizzy, can’t move his body, if he do dizzy is starting to give trouble him. He is not getting remedying. We are not getting any surgery also. One thing we were lucky at that time is, we were asked to sit near to one stream where one women and one from one car shouted to the Rakhine croed who brought us here that “why you are keeping all these people, just finish all. They are finishing our Rakhine in Maung Daw.” But, one Rakhine boy who is my customer, used to buy tea from my shop replied that “how can we beat all this crowd” and send us to the police station. This is real process. On the way to police station, one old person aged 50 beat me with small steel plate that resulted major injury here in forehead. (Showing her forehead). We were very much afraid of this Buddhist crowd. Some are familiar with us, some immigrated here not too long. They are familiar with us so they didn’t beat us. There are also some Chinese, so we thought that they are not beating us because other are also existed at the site. Then we reached to the police station. When we reached there, police office said ‘Don’t you know that it will happen like that? Why you all are not staying away from your houses?’, then I answered, how do we know that and it was never happened before. Then inspector of the station took picture of both of us. Then they sent those injured people to the hospital using the police van. When reach to hospital, the treated us nicely. Dr. Thein Htay Aung treated my wound. Then a Rakhine Man, U Nay Win, gave us a meal, food and tea. It happened on Sunday, and on Tuesday, we are dismissed from hospital. There are only one officer following our vehicle and left all of us.
A: Where did they leave you?
B: They left us near ‘Thel Chaung’.
A: So it is very far?
B: Yes, we have to walk by ourselves to reach here. There are a man called Sunny who is from our village had left at the hospital. That man came to the hospital during evening time while we are fainted.
A: That Sunny is also from the village where your brother who had killed?
B: Yes, my own brother was killed and a child too. They don’t let us to be alone. If they see us alone, they will not let us escaped and kill us. There are three people died immediately on 10 June. My younger brother, my sister’s son-in-law and my cousin brother. Sunny died on hospital. And Kyaw Zin Htoo who dismissed hospital with me on 12 June passed away on 18 June here.
A: Do you willing to stay back at your own place where conflict was happened?
B: Yes we have to go back to our own place. Where else can we go? This (Myanma) is our birthplace. My parents were Burmese citizens with proper national ID cards. We were all born here. What is our crime? We are being persecuted simply because we are Muslims here in Rakhine State.
On behalf of the concerned community of Malaysian Buddhists, we would like to highlight the cause of the minority Rohingya people in Burma's Arakan province.
We have been following with deep concern and sadness on the Amnesty International (July 19, 2012) report on the ongoing oppression and massacre of the Rohingyas by both the Rakhine and security forces.
The human rights violations that include physical abuse, rape, destruction of property, and unlawful killings, are urgent calls for attention for Buddhists in Malaysia as the minority Rohingya people suffer loss of lives and the extensive damage of property.
On July 11, Burma's National Human Rights Commission reported that at least 78 people have been killed since the violence began, but unofficial estimates exceed 100; with Amnesty International reporting up to 90,000 people have been displaced.
This open letter is by both the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) and the Malaysian Network of Engaged Buddhists (MNEB), in representing the Buddhist community in Malaysia, to call for three actions:-
a. The immediate ceasing of all violence and all further bloodshed in Arakan, with a call to all parties involved to seriously seek resolution through peaceful, non-violent means.
b. For the government of Burma and opposition parties to lead immediate intervening efforts to halt further violence on the people in Arakan province through the fair implementation of the democratic law.
c. For the government of Burma to grant immediate access to independent and international humanitarian agencies and humanitarian aid workers into the affected areas to offer the necessary assistance to stop further bloodshed in and around the Arakan region.
We fervently pray that peace returns to the province of Arakan and for all to join us in this prayer.
Tuesday 14 August 2012Exclusive: As members of Burma's Muslim Rohingya minority are forced into camps after violent clashes, the government bans international observers - but Channel 4 News gains access.
There is a part of Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State in Burma, that people still refer to as Narzi. But if you travel there, as Channel 4 News did recently, you will not find much to look at. In fact this substantial section of town, until recently the bustling home of 10,000, no longer exists.
Instead, you will find a post-apocalyptic world of rubble and burnt-out tree trunks. Personal effects are left scattered on the ground. It seems an incongruous scene in a country that claims to be remaking itself as modern, democratic state. Spend five minutes in Narzi, however, and you start to wonder whether Burma has really changed at all.
Until a month ago, Sittwe was home, in almost even proportions, to two different ethnic groups – the Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims.
It seems an incongruous scene in a country that claims to be remaking itself as modern, democratic state.
There have long been tensions between the two, and the recent violence started with an allegation that three Rohingya men had raped and killed a young Buddhist woman. After the distribution of inflammatory pamphlets, ten Muslim pilgrims were pulled out of a bus and beaten to death. The immediate consequence was chaos. Hate-filled mobs from both communities went on the rampage, burning homes and settling scores.
'Resettlement'
Narzi and many other communities were lost in the storm. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) estimate that some 100,000 people were displaced in the fighting. The government puts the death toll at 78, a figure human rights groups call "a gross underestimate".
In an effort to regain control, Burma's government sent in nine military regiments to Rakhine and implemented a policy of strict separation. In Sittwe, this meant moving 60,000 Rohingya out of the city, and "resettling" them in a series of camps located some distance from the city.
We were told by humanitarian agencies that conditions in these camps were "desperate", but access is strictly controlled, even to aid workers. Through our contacts however, we managed to reach several of these sites.
The camps were located on soggy pastures, squeezed between paddy fields. When our vehicle stopped, we were surrounded by residents desperate to communicate. The adults looked thin and many of the children were clearly malnourished. I asked a woman with three children how much food she was getting. "We’re living on rice and beans," she said. "It's not enough. We haven't got blankets. When we were in town, we could buy food for the kids, but now we can't."
Restrictions
Young men in the camp told me they were dreaming of escape. One young man told me: "I am from Sittwe, but I don't want to stay (in the camp). I want to go to Bangladesh. We are really suffering here."
In truth, he has few options. The Bangladeshis do not want the Rohingya - and they have long been treated with indifference and hostility in Burma. The United Nations has for some time called them "one of the most persecuted groups in the world". They are subjected to restrictions on marriage, employment and education, and they were denied in citizenship in 1982.
We're living on rice and beans. It's not enough. We haven't got blankets. When we were in town, we could buy food for the kids, but now we can't.Rohingya camp resident
Now they are in the camps, another weighty constraint has been added – they can't leave. Sittwe is now off-limits, and it seems unlikely its former residents will be able to return.
It is the cause of great anxiety here, for few people here can support themselves. One woman told us: "We have no jobs and our kids can't work. I use to run a shop in Sittwe, but I came here in the rain with nothing but my bare hands. No money, nothing."
International NGOs and the United Nations are struggling to provide assistance to the camps, with their efforts hindered by a determined campaign of obstruction by local Buddhists. Aid workers have been threatened and some shipments have been blocked. Local doctors have refused to treat Rohingya and businessmen have declined to provide humanitarian organisations with services like warehouse space – crucial for the storage of food, for example.
'Favouritism'
When we sought the views of local Buddhists, they told us that the UN and International NGOs engage in favouritism. Much sought after jobs with the agencies "always" go to the Rohingya, we were told. When I put these complaints to one NGO official, he was unapologetic however. "We go to where the need is greatest," he said.
Burma's government has been accused by international human rights organisations of doing little to stop the violence after the first clashes took place - and of siding with the local population when troops and military policemen were moved in. The UN Special Rapporteur for Burma, Tomas Quintana, told Channel 4 News that he had received allegations of mass arrests, torture and killings and the hands of the security forces on a recent visit there.
There is much justified excitement with the reforms currently being undertaken by Burma's new government. But the president, Thein Sein, has offered little on the issue, other than to suggest that a third country may be persuaded to take in the Rohingya. The opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi has also said, and done, little. When asked about the situation by one Muslim during the initial period of violence, she replied: "Yes, I understand, but I am not the government. I can't do anything. Only the government [can] do something."
There are many Rohingya Muslims – like the former residents of Narzi - who would beg to differ with that.
Rohingyas are (recent) illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Refutation
I have learnt that during British Colonial period, migration from one place to another (within its colonised countries) was absolutely legal. Therefore, some members of Rohingyas might be immigrants but not illegal ones. Therefore, how can someone call them illegal immigrants as a whole? At the same time, one has to apply the same logic to the Rakhines as well. They also migrated from one place another during British time and it can't be denied. And they are living both sides of the countries, Burma and Bangladesh. If they (the same Rakhines) can be citizens of both countries, why can't Rohingyas be citizen of Burma? Why?
During the time of the agreement between Aung San and Aktle, he (Aung San) promised that he would recognize everyone as citizen of Burma who was living within its territory. How can someone today revoke Aung San's agreement? Besides, one should not forget that Chittagong region of Bangladesh and Arakan of Myanmar were combined and one land used to rule by the same rulers. It is not strange if one finds similarities among the people of Arakan and Chittagong region. Besides the people called Rohingyas, Chakmas (Thaks) and Baruas also speak a Chittagonian dialect and similar cultures with the people of Chittagong. How could honorable historians like Dr. Aye Chan deliberately and conveniently leave it out in his speeches and books while he points out the similarities between Rohingyas and Chittagonians?
Furthermore, I want to ask back to those people (who accuse such a thing) why Bangladeshis should come into a land which is ruled by the world-known oppressive government, relatively less economic opportunity, less income (GDP per Capita in Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2011 are US$1700 and US$1300 respectively) and poorer infrastructures. (IndexMundi.com, 2012)(IndexMundi.com, 2012) Why? To die? Or to convert Buddhists into Islam? Can 4% Muslims convert 89% percent of Buddhists in the country? (The-Ministry-of-Foreign-Affairs-Myanmar, 2012) If so, these Burmese are really feeling insecure of themselves. Instead of being jealous, hating and killing people, which is against teaching of Buddha and the principles of Buddhism, to protect Buddhism, Burmese should introduce peaceful missionary works to protect their religion.
Allegation #4
Rohingyas cannot be one of Burmese citizens because they look like Bengalis and the language they and Chittagonians speak is similar.
Refutation
Well. Rohingyas look like Benglis because both are of Indian descends. Their language sounds like the language of Chittagonians. In that sense, one needs to apply the same logic to other people.Rakhines look like Bama, their language is almost same to Bama Language and they worship same religion. Should we call there were no Rakhines in history of Burma? Rakhines think themselves as a different ethnic people. How can we believe that? You also need to check up your DNAs to confirm your distinct and different ethnicity (Rakines) from Bamas. Will you do that? And the same Rakhines live in Bangladesh, too.And Bama itself originated to China. Besides, there are Kachins in China and India other than Kachin state. There are Shans in Laos and Thailand (in fact, Shan and Thai are same people) besides Shan state. Mon has the ethnically strong relations with Khmers of Thailand and Cambodia. If all these people can be citizens of Burma despite their presence in other countries, why can’t Rohingyas be? Why don’t people apply same logic to Rohingyas’ case? Why do Burmese people think arbitrarily and illogically?
Allegation #5
Rohingyas cannot be citizens of Burma because they cannot speak Burmese.
Refutation
Some people claim that Rohingyas cannot be nationals of Burma simply because they can’t speak Burmese. One would be wrong to say so because the educated Rohingyas can speak Burmese fluently. Some of the Rakhines in rural areas of Maung Daw can’t speak Burmese either but they speak Rakhine language which is a different dialect of Burmese Language. Besides, some of Kachins, Chins, and Mons etc can’t speak Burmese. Are not they citizens of Myanmar? This fact cannot be a judgmental factor in deciding the nationality of the people in Myanmar.
Rohingyas can’t speak Burmese because these people are locked mostly in northern Arakan and there are no proximity and close relationships between Bamars and these people. They have been isolated for the longest time. On the daily basis, most of them cannot find a single Bamar to speak with. So, how can they speak Burmese? We have to think logically rather than on arbitrary basis. But those (Muslims) people who have close relationships with local Rakhines can speak Rakhine fluently. The worse thing is that even many high school students in Maung Daw and Buthidaung cannot speak Burmese fluently because they are, in their schools, taught in local Rakhine dialect even though the books are in Burmese language.
Let’s put some arguments regarding this language factor whether or not it affects one’s nationality in other countries of today’s modern world. In India, most of the people like Tamils, Telugus, Malayalams, Tulus etc don’t even know what the (official) Hindi language is let alone speaking it. Are not they citizens of India? In Bangladesh, people in southern regions cannot properly speak original Bengali language. Are not they citizens of Bangladesh? In China, Mandarin and Cantonese are two different languages and there are many more on top of that. In spite of that, are not all they Chinese and citizens of China? In Thailand, people in southern part cannot properly speak Thai. Does it mean that they are not citizens of Thailand? In Malaysia, despite the very close relationships between Malays and Chinese, Chinese can’t properly speak Malay. As all know, Chinese are citizens of Malaysia. I wonder why only Burma has so many problems like this. Therefore, it is the high time to stop thinking stereotypically and think out of the box.
Mohammed Sheikh Anwar is an activist, studying Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies at Westminster International College in Malaysia.
