Arakan News Updates: the Desperate and Painful Condition of Rohingyas Growing Alarmingly

Detail see Case #3 (Photo - Mohammed Ayub)

Buthidaung, Arakan- On 1st December 2012, at Ye Seik Pyin Hamlet of Sindhi Frang (Sei Yein Pyin) village tract in Buthidaung, Rakhine extremists vandalized a hand of Buddha Statue with a view to persecuting and creating more violence against Rohingyas in the township. The following day, NaSaKa (Border Security Force) arrested seven innocent Rohingyas with the false accusation of this vandalism. It is feared that more Rohingyas might get arrested sooner or later. 

“Rakhine terrorists themselves broke the hand of the Bhudda statue in order to create more chances to persecute Rohingyas. Expectedly, NaSaKa arrested seven Rohingyas for something which they have never involved in. Of them, four were released after the extortion of money and other were handed over to the Police. Their details are:

1. Mohammed Jamil S/o Moghul Ahmed (Released after the extortion of Kyat 5 Lakhs)
2. Imam Hussain S/o Mansoor (Released after the extortion of Kyat 75 Thousands) 
3. Zafar Ahmed S/o Ghani Meah (Released after the extortion of Kyat 75 Thousands) 
4. Mohammed Sadek S/o Jamal Hussain (Released after the extortion of 1.5 Lakhs) 
5. Kabir Ahmed S/o Mubarak Ali (Handed over to Police) 
6. Amir Hussain S/o Rashid Ahmed (Handed over to Police) 
7. Lalu S/o…? (Handed over to Police)” reported by a Local Rohingya from Buthidaung. 

Maung Daw, Arakan - 

Case #1 

At 4PM yesterday (i.e. on 3rd December 2012), while the judge of the Maung Daw Tsp Court was going on his way in his car recklessly driven by his drunkard son, a Rohingya teenager was almost hit by the mentioned car near to the Maung Daw Clock Tower. Subsequently, the judge immediately stopped and got off from the car and chased the boy to beat. The boy, fortunately, could manage to escape the horror scene leaving his bicycle behind. In his desperate to beat the boy, the judge ran his car over the bicycle and made it into pieces. He sent the pieces to the Police station and reportedly filed a case against the boy according to a Rohingya elder from Maung Daw. 

Is he a judge or barbarian? It is not to get forget that he has been one of the Rakhine extremist leaders who have been inciting hatred and violence against Rohingyas since June. 

Case #2 

In another case in Maung Daw, at 3:00PM on 4th December 2012, a Rohingya named Azizul Haque S/o Abu Sayed was arrested at Phyu Gyi Camp by NaSaKa (Border Security Force) accusing that he is under the blacklist of the recent violence. He was on his way to Bangladesh by legal means, using Border Trade Pass. The irony is that he was white-listed recently. He was just an ordinary shopkeeper who used to lead a simple life. He was handed over to Police and is awaiting his bad destiny like other arrested Rohingyas. 

Case #3 

A Rohingya was injured seriously as a NaSaKa (Border Security Force) member recklessly fired at him. 

This is how it happened! 

At 12:40 PM on 4th December 2012, he was going to Mayu Hilltract through the villages of Khawar Bil (Kyi Kan Pyin) and Aung Zaya (a NaTaLa Rakhine village) to get firewood. Meanwhile, he was attacked by some Rakhine terrorists. And NaSaKa member recklessly fired and a bullet hit the Rohingya’s leg. We are inquiring his details. 

Photo - Mohammed Ayub

Case #4 

Authority in Maung Daw is driving out Rohingya people in full swing so as to decrease their population. It has been already six months that Rohingyas have been killed, arrested, tortured, cut off their economic, foods and medicine lines and their women raped etc. So, now, authority in Maung Daw has declared that Rohingyas have a way to escape the persecution. That is Leaving the country is the only way to escape the dire situation. Therefore, authority (especially NaSaKa) is pushing out Rohingyas to the sea through HaisshuRata (Alay Than Kyaw) Sea Beach by collecting some tax. 

In FattarKilla (Mrauk-U), Arakan- At 6:30PM on 30th Novemeber 2012, in Rida Village, three Rohingyas namely Hafez Amjad Hussain (Age 22), Sondula Muktar Hussain (Age 55), and Mohammed Hakim (Age 60) went to a betel shop. Four army officers accompanied by Rakhine Village Administrator U Maung Than came to the shop and asked Hafez Amjad Hussain whether he was a Moulavi (Religious Scholar) or not. Upon saying “Yes,” he was brutally beaten till he became half-dead.

The Rohingya suffer Ethiopian-like starvation

Partners Relief & Development needs financial support and  additional NGOs to help their work
(Photo - Partners Relief)

Mission Network News
December 04, 2012

Burma (MNN) ― It's a situation that is being ignored by the international media and governments around the world.

According to a team member with Partners Relief & Development (PRAD), sectarian violence broke out in Arakan State, Western Burma in May 2012 between the Buddhist Rakhine people and the predominately-Muslim Rohingya.

Despite recent assertions from the Burma government that the situation was back to normal, violence continues to occur, and thousands of people have been displaced. The UNHCR has said that about 80,000 people have been displaced in and around the Sittwe and Maungdaw by the violence. More recent reports from Partners staff on the ground in Arakan State suggest that the number is actually much higher. Some suggest that it may be as high as 200,000.

Why are they attacking each other? That team member, who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons, says, "The Rakhine people consider the Rohingya illegal immigrants living in their land, even though many of the Rahingya have lived there for many generations and have no other home."

While they have hated one other for decades, the most recent violence took place after a Rakhine girl was assaulted. "The Rakhine retaliated, violence broke out, Rohingya villages were burned to the ground, and people were brutality murdered."

The government stepped in and separated the Rohingya into camps outside the city. "The problem is that in order for the Rohingya to be moved to the camp, they have to sign a statement declaring that they are an illegal immigrant. So, the Rohingya are unwilling to do that."

The PRAD staff member says, "The people who are not willing to sign those statements are fending for themselves and setting up shelters along the road; and the population is swelling. It's becoming a humanitarian crisis, and we are seeing small children and infants dying on a regular basis."

"The crowd of those needing care is growing every day and pressing in upon us. We need help. More teams need to come. More governments of the world need to speak loudly against what is happening here. More donations are necessary to provide any relief," observes a PRAD staff member who is currently in Sittwe, Burma.

The staff member says PRAD has been there serving for about a month. "During that time, we have not seen any other NGOs or groups come and work alongside us, or even on their own."

He says it's unlike any relief situation he's ever worked in. "The biggest difference is the total absence of hope. There's a real hopelessness in this situation. It's not like a natural disaster where the situation can return back to normal very soon."

He suggests this situation reminds him of the famine in Ethiopia.

PRAD hopes that they're Christian foundations and testimony can change that. "We are trying to be a light in a very dark place. We need a lot of prayer, we need financial support to keep doing what we're doing, and we need other groups and other individuals to come alongside us and help in this effort."

PRAD is calling on international aid organizations and governments to quickly engage in the humanitarian work needed in Arakan State. If more aid doesn't arrive soon, there will be widespread deaths, especially among children.

Five Than-Pa-li villagers of Min-Bya were being arrested as a Rakhine Buddhist murderer

Yesterday, there was a personal clash between two Rakhine Buddhist villagers after having heavily drunk in Thay-Kay village of Min-Bya Township. One was being sustained severe injuries and he was being hospitalized in Min-Bya township hospital according to the ground.
  

But to divert the case which was taken place between the two fellows Rakhine, the same fanatic Rakhine villagers have imposed social pressure upon the one who was being hospitalized not to point out the real attacker with whom he has quarreled and sustained injury but to point out Rohingya Muslims as culprits from Than-Pa-Li village instead. 

Date on 22/11/2012, during the series of Muslim villages were being burned down by organized Rakhine mob, Than-Pa-Li village was also one of them and (227) houses of (333) houses were burnt into ashes by the Rakhine mob. During the torching, 35 years old young male Rohingya and a 60 years old lady were stabbed to dead by Rakhine.

Afterward, a state level criminal investigation team has arrived to the village (Than-Pa-li) to examine thoroughly the bloodshed taken place and exposed the dead bodies from their graves to examine for their further proof and asked the villagers about likely intruders into the village for the attack on Rohingya Muslims.

The Muslim villagers have pointed out the realized ones who are in fact Rakhine attackers from the nearby village of Thay-Kan.

Because of the past connection, Rakhine having been the animosity against Muslims, right now, Rakhine fanatic are cooperatively shaping the culprits of the quarrel between two drunken Rakhine as to be of innocent Muslims from the village of Than-Pa-li -- which was severely damaged by the torching and the lives of the people have been totally devastating since then. As more, as Rohingya villagers from any of their villages could not exit from their villages and could not move from one village to another and how Muslims can make clashes with Rakhine after going to their village at this critical and deadly situation.

According to the complaint made by the injured one to the police station, the police from the station have hurriedly gone to the village and arrested some five innocent Muslim villagers without thoroughly considering into the real subject matter.