Nameless Graves Mark the End of Tortured Existence for Rohingya in Thailand

PHUKET: Five boatpeople, victims of Thailand's traffickers, were buried in a Songkhla village yesterday while others continue to suffer disease and cramped conditions in secret jungle ''animal pens'' or official confinement.

Local Muslim authorities say that deaths from diseases and severe conditions are likely to continue until Thailand's government recognises that thousands of Rohingya, being smuggled through Thailand, should be accorded basic human rights.

''The men we buried today were aged 16 to 40,'' said Isma-Aen Mat-Adam, of the Rohingya Help Network in Thailand. ''All of them died after being 'rescued' from the secret jungle traffickers' camps. Hospitals could not save them

''These deaths show how bad the conditions are in the jungle camps and in Thailand's detention centres.''

The men had been confined by Thai authorities and by traffickers in a serial rights abuse since January last year.

In the hospital, where doctors and nurses tried to save the men from the ravages caused by constant cramped confinement at the hands of Thai officials and traffickers, the nameless dead men were recorded on official documents as ''Rohingya One,'' ''Rohingya Two,'' ''Rohingya Three'' . . .

The first man died on January 30. Another perished on February 1. The third death followed on February 2. Two more came on February 4 . . . it's likely their family and friends are among more than 700 Rohingya still being held in southern Thailand.

The boatpeople were ''rescued'' by Thai authorities late last month from two secret jungle camps, little more than animal pens with earthen floors and no room for the captives to stretch or stand.

Twenty-four men who were unable to walk were left after the ''rescue'' to fend for themselves in the jungle at one corral site, said the Chairman of the Muslim Committee of Songkhla province, Sakkeeya Binsala.

For many, it was the second time in the traffickers' camps, having been previously ''rescued'' in January last year then confined for all the intervening months in cramped Immigration or police cells before being ''deported'' into the arms of waiting traffickers.

And around they go again, seeking sanctuary in Malaysia . . . but finding only a kind of hell in Thailand.

Wrapped in white shrouds and buried by local residents, the five fresh anonymous graves at the village near Sadao now bear silent witness to the fate of the stateless in Thailand.

A final resting place ends long and cruel treatment for five Rohingya

Deputy Judge extorts money through law in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The deputy Judge is extorting money from Rohingya who faced trial in Maungdaw Judge Court, said Halim, Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.

U Than Htun Oo, the deputy judge of Maungdaw judge court used his power in trials to extort money from Rohingya who case was hearing under his supervise, starting 500,000 kyat to 1000,000 kyat depended on the person, the watchdog said.
U Than Htun Oo used his power when a case was able to bill or dismiss – release temporarily (by a court of law) and unconditionally release- but he used the law to extort money from person, saying he will send him to jail and sends his assistant to negotiate for demand money to release, said Anno, a victim of the Judge.
The judge also issued trial date very near which harmed the people didn’t able to prepare for next date trial and asking money  for day long time,  Anno, more said.
Recently, the judge extorted 1000,000 kyat from Kiasar, a youth from Shwe Zarr village tract for quarrel case –Act 324, said a relative of Kiasar.
The judge is taking advantage recent situation  where the Law and order was not favor  to Rohingya community in Maungdaw and no one take any action against him for his misusing of law and power, said an elder from Maungdaw.
The Maungdaw high level officers – U Aung Myint Soe, the district admin officer and U Kyi San, the Township admin officer- are also using their power to harass and ill treatment the Rohingya community under their post, the elder added.

Authority searching mobile phones in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Maungdaw high level officers ordered to village admin officers to list all mobile phones which was issued by Myanmar Post and Telegram department (MPT), said Haroon, a student from Maungdaw.

The ordered was issued after visiting of Arakan State chief minister visited Maungdaw to see the ground situation of Du Chee Ya tan ( Kila Dong) village , Maungdaw south, Haroon more added.
The GSM mobile SIM cards were issued by the authority to the people and now the authority collecting the list of mobile in the villages – only Rohingya villages- to harass the Rohingya and the gateway to extort money with false allegation, said Hamid, a school teacher from Maungdaw.
The authority will impose or tract Rohingya who are using the MPT mobiles to control the flow of information through the mobile network –like recent violent attacked on Kila Dong Rohingya villagers by security forces and Mogh from Kharay mine Natala village, Hamid more added.
International community pressured the Burmese government with the information which the villagers informed through their mobile network to media and other concern rights groups. So, the Maungdaw authority are trying to control Rohingya MPT mobile holders not to send information to media and others.
“It may be imposed the Rohingya not to use the mobiles or to harass or to extort money from with this allegation,” said Halim, the Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.
The MPT mobiles are sold by authority which was legal to use by the people, but the authority is now trying to control the use of mobile within the Rohingya community which will cut the Rohingya from the world, the watchdog said.

Eyewitness accounts point to a government cover up of a massacre in Myanmar

Rohingya News Agency‏ ‏‎–(Anadolu Agency): has heard testimonies from eyewitnesses to a massacre that allegedly occurred last month in the village of Du Chee Yar Tan, in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The claims made by the interviewees, whose identities cannot be revealed for their own safety, appear to implicate the Myanmar authorities in a cover-up of mass killings; allegations that, if verified, may hasten calls for an international inquiry into the incident.
Last month a group of local Buddhists, backed by police, rampaged through the village killing at least 40 people, according to a United Nations statement and human rights organisations.
A radically different version of events has been put forward by the Myanmar government, who deny that any Rohingya Muslims were killed and insist that the only victim was an ethnically Rakhine policeman.
AA has spoken with several eyewitnesses whose accounts may help to shed light on what actually took place last month. The area where the massacre purportedly occurred is off limits to international journalists, and only those with special permission can access it.
According to AA sources, the violence was precipitated by the discovery of the dead bodies of eight Rohingya Muslims that had gone missing attempting to flee the country; it was known locally that they had been detained by a Rakhine village administrator. 
A worker saw the dead bodies in the garden of the village administrator and returned to his village, Du Chee Yar Tan, to raise the alarm.
One villager told AA that on the very same night, on the 13 January, the police came to the village and began to search some of the properties.
The commotion caused by the police searching the homes made some Rohingya villagers believe it was burglars and they came out of their homes to challenge them, one villager told us. 
The police left the village because of the opposition they faced.
Sources allege that the police returned at 2:00am with a mob of 400 Buddhist Rakhines.
“As soon as they entered the village they began firing. Seven people were shot straight away, everybody ran away,” said one witness. “It was like it was raining bullets,” he added.
Villagers also claim that their relatives were arrested and they still do not know about their whereabouts. 
People from neighboring villagers claim that they saw trucks laden with Rohingya prisoners being driven away. These putative detainees are still missing.
In total, sources claim five police trucks full of people left the village and only one truck returned.
Many of the Rohingya managed to escape to neighboring villages or hid in other locations; some women returned to the village the next day.
“We say shallow graves had freshly been dug. We could smell the stench of decomposing bodies and there were flies everywhere,” one woman told AA.
The women went back to a neighboring village upon seeing the shallow graves. However, they were asked to return to Du Chee Yar Tan by authorities preceding an EU delegation visit. When they returned they claim the bodies had been removed.
Villagers also claim that the police were the ones that started the fire on 28 January. They said that they saw the police pouring petrol on the roofs of the houses.
"They came on motorbikes. They first knocked some doors and when no one opened I saw them pour petrol on the roofs,” claimed a villager.
This account was referenced by Myanmar Muslim MP Shwe Maung in an interview with the Democratic Voice of Burma (Myanmar), where he accused the authorities of starting the fire. 
According to the MP he received a letter describing his interview as, “defaming the state and Myanmar Police Force,” along with, “instigating conflicts”.
AA has exclusive photographs from the village that show the destruction of homes, passed to us by local villagers.
After the EU delegation left the village the women were told to leave Du Chee Yar Tan because there would be an ‘investigation’.
One village member told AA that even as the EU delegation was visiting the village the police were hiding a body that had turned up in a nearby creek.
Several accounts heard by an AA correspondent also point to some female prisoners being held in the nearby Rakhine villages of Kau Chaung and Mayrawadi.
The Rohingya Muslıms, who the UN say are among the most oppressed peoples in the world, reside mainly in the Western Myanmar state of Rakhine.
Attacks against the minority in 2012 involved, according to Human Rights Watch, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity perpetrated with the aid of state forces.
The Myanmar government continue to accuse media organisations of fabricating news and deny that any sort of massacre took place.

Rakhine set to fire Gawdusara village in Maungdaw south

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Rakhine from Natala village set on fire Gawdusara east village today at about 00:30am (midnight), said Hamidul Haque, an elder from Maungdaw south.

The fire burned down two houses – wooden big houses- with together all belongings, Haque more said.
The house owners are Gafor and Abdul Razak, both are father and son, Haque more added.
The houses are situated south side of Gawdusara east village, which is near the paddy field and near the Natala village and east of the Maungdaw-Alay Than Kyaw highway, on the line of recent killing field of Du Chee Ya Tan village, said a village admin office member who denied to be named.
The authority didn’t took any action for the fire but claimed that the houses were burned for careless, said the member.
But, the villagers who were eyewitness said the fire was set by Mogh and when they villagers rushed to the spot, the Mogh run away from the area into mountain side, said Anno, a young man from the village.
Besides, the district police chief Lt.Col Shwe Thein and his troop went Pa Dinn ( Fa Tan Zarr) and raided the house of Abdul Rahim yesterday where the police personnel harassed and attempt to rape the female for searching the Rahim. The police force took two females from Rahim’s house to Maungdaw. The females were took to Maungdaw by motorbikes. The police said Rahim was involved in the event of Du Chee Ya Tan.  The authority need Abdul Rahim, not the family members, said Halim, the human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.
“Why the authority arrested the females of Rahim’s house and the allegation is only for Rahim.”
The allegation was made by some collaborators to the authority that Rahim was involved, watchdog said.

Rakhine strangers pour to Maungdaw Township

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Many unknown Rakhine new faces have been pouring to Maungdaw Township after Du Chee Ya Tan (Kila Dong) village event to create another problem between Rakhine and Rohingya communities, said Masood (not real name) from the locality.

“After the Kila Dong event, many unknown Rakhine people have been seen in Rakhine villages of Maungdaw Township. Why they are coming to Maungdaw Township. Rohingya villagers believe that another problem will be created in Maungdaw Township. Some members of 969 groups are also seen in every Rakhine villages in Maungdaw Township.”
According to village Administrator of Du Chee Ya Tan village Tract U Aung Zan Phyu--- many Rakhines from other parts of Arakan State had already been in Maungdaw Township, so, he asked the Kila Dong villagers not to live in the village. “If the unknown Rakhines attack the (Muslim villagers), I will not take responsibility of this.”
As a result, people fled to neighboring villages that came again to their original village to live. They are facing acute difficulties in the neighboring villages--- for staying, food, and sanitation, said a villager who denied to be named.
In future, the Rakhine community will create another problem between Rohinya and Rakhine communities with the help of local concerned authorities---police, Hluntin and army, he more added.
Despite the international pressure to Burmese government and Rakhine people, they will not care of this saying that “It is our internal problem, not concern to international community.”