New violence in 2014

Rakhine set on fire Du Chee Ya Tan: eyewitness

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The blaze which occurred in Du Chee Ya Tan ( Kila Dong)  on January 29, at about 8:30pm was systematically planned and the Rakhine from Kharaymine Natala village with police jointly set on fire, said Ms.Laila Begum who informed Maungdaw police chief.

Ms.Laila, Ms.Montaz, Ms.Monowara and other eight female villagers who fought with Rakhine villagers while they were trying to set on fire the houses inside the Du Chee Ya Tan west village and later the police opened fire to the sky to frighten the people not to enter the village from outside and to leave the villager from the village. So, the females left from the village with fear from fighting with Rakhine,  Ms Laila said.
Ms.Laila said some Rakhine Natala villagers come to their village to set on fire where most of the male are not staying in the houses. Laila and her groups - all female – fight with Rakhine whatever they can. They were not getting any help from security forces as the security forces were helping the Rakhine to set on fire.
Ms Laila was picked up by district police officer – Lt.Col. Shwe Than- to Maungdaw police station because she told in details of the events of Kilai Dong west village blaze to  the district police officer Lt.Col. Shwe Than and Hluntin director Col. Tin Ko Ko , said Annis, an elder from Du Chee Ya Tan.
Ms.Laila was pick up police office U Shwe Than by  Sun Star jeep which number is 8Kha/5925- and till yesterday the family member of Ms.Liala didn’t get any information about Laila, Annis more added.
“Most of villagers believe that she will be killed by the concerned authority to hide the information of ablaze,” said a villager on condition of anonymity.
The security forces that station in the Kilai Dong village stopped the villagers from neighboring villages while they tried to enter the village to extinguish the fire. But the Maungdaw high level officers claimed no Rohingya villagers had done to extinguish the fire, Kalu , an elder from the village.
U Shwe Maung , Pyithu Hluttaw representative of Buthidaung said Du Chee Ya Tan village was under the controlled of security forces. It is not possible to enter any outsider and the security forces must know what is happening in the village. So, the ablaze was set by police or it partners.
The Maungdaw District Admin and Township Admin officers formed seven village tract groups – which are neighboring of Kila Dong village- to give security to the Kila Dong east village while there were no male villagers inside the village, after visiting of Arakan State Chief minister, said Halim, a Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.
The seven village tract groups –Gawdusara, Pa Dinn(Fa Tan Zarr),BaGone Na, Nurullah, Tha Yai Gone Tan, Nyoung Chang and etc- were ordered by Maungdaw Township admin officer and Distract admin officer to serve per day per one group as security team for Kila Dong east, Halim added.
When the ablaze of Kila Dong west village was seen by the village tract security group - Pa Dinn (Fatan Zar) which was on duty that day, tried to go to the village to extinguish the fire, but security forces blocked them and were not able to help the Kilai Dong west village, said one of the group members who denied to be named.

Rohingya arrested in Maungdaw south

Maungdaw, Arakan State: A Rohingya villager was arrested by police personnel of Sommona police camp on January 30, in Maugdaw south, Hussain (not real name) from Maungdaw south said.

The arrestee had been identified as-- Ayub (24), son of Jokoria hailed from Udaung village under the Maungdaw Township.
According to villagers, the village administration officer U Thein Maung of Udaung gave an allegation to Ayub that he has been included so-called warrant list made by concerned authority and called the Sommona police camp and informed about Ayub.
On receiving information, a team of police personnel immediately went to Udaung village and arrested him. After arrest, he was brought to Sommona police camp, the villagers said.
However, he was severely tortured by the police and detained in the police camp. Later, he was sent to Maungdaw police station for further investigation, said a relative on condition of anonymity.
A village elder said, “The villager is innocent. He did not commit any crimes. Due to crisis of Kila Dong village, the village Administration officer takes benefit by threatening to the villagers."
According to other villagers, earlier, many Rohingya villagers were arrested from Udaung villages and extorted money by U Thein Maung with the help of police and Hluntin earlier.
But, the concerned authority had filed cases against some innocent Rohingya villagers and sent to jail from the said village.