A French national working with an Islamic NGO has been arrested in Bangladesh, reportedly accused of “suspicious activities” that could mean up to 10 years in jail. He was working with the Rohingya minority, Muslims who have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Puemo Tchantchuing, who prefers to be known as Moussa Ibn Yacoub since his conversion to Islam, was arrested on Tuesday 22 December and has been detained since then.

As well as being accused of “suspicious activities”, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, he may be charged with using a false identity, because the name he uses is not the one on his passport and identity card, according to lawyer Samim Bolaky.

He was working for the French-based NGO Baraka City, which says he was stopped at a checkpoint while going to schools and orphanages in the south of the country where the Rohingya camps are situated.

“He is being kept in catastrophic conditions in cells that contain more than 40 prisoners,” Bolaky said.

He also faces charges for not registering with the authorities, according to Baraka City, which says that since the Rohingya are considered illegal immigrants it is not possible for the NGO to declare its presence legally.

The French embassy in Bangladesh has provided the “usual protection” and he is waiting to appear in court, France’s foreign ministry said.

Baraka City, which was founded by strict Salafist Muslims, manages a budget of several million euros.

French police have searched its premises several times and its bank accounts have been closed on more than one occassion but no connection to terrorist groups has ever been established.

Over 97,000 people had signed a Facebook petition for the detained man’s release on Sunday afternoon.

At least seven Rohingya houses were destroyed by an accidental fire at ‘Aung Sit Pyin’ village in northern Maungdaw yesterday evening.

The fire is said to have broken out from the kitchen around 5:30PM yesterday (on December 23) and gone out of control afterwards. The began from the house of a man named U Dudu Meah at ‘Dom Paik’ hamlet of ‘Aung Sit Pyin’ village tract to the north of ‘Kyeing Chaung (Boli Bazaar)’ village.

The fire brigade didn’t arrive as usual as it is a Rohingya village. However, the villagers came together and managed to extinguish the fire few hours later.

The Burmese (Myanmar) Border Guard Police (BGP) severely beat up two Rohingya men in northern December 13 in order to squeeze money from them, the reliable sources report.

A group of six BGP personnel from ‘Nagkura (Nagpura)’ camp under commandment area 5 made to the ‘MyaZin’ hamlet of ‘Lon Doong’ village tract in northern around 10:00PM on December 13. There, they beat up two innocent Rohingya men accusing them of wrong reasons. 

“Anwar Sadek Iman Hussein, a young Rohingya boy, was talking to his friend on phone standing at the gate of his house. There, the BGP encountered them and accused him of using Bangala phone.

However, they searched his body, they only found out a Myanmar MPT phone. However, the BGP accused him of hiding his Bangala phone and started beating him. After that, they not only seized his MPT phone but also extorted Kyat 40,000 from him.

Subsequently, they raided the redsidence of Mr. Abu Shukkor Akhbar Ali around 11:00PM night and said that they received a complaint against him. There at his own home, they beat him for one hour until 12:00 midnight.

After that, they took him to their camp where they beat and threatened him for the whole night. On December 14 morning, they released him after extorting Kyat 500,000.

However, he received severe injuries on his face from the tortures,” said a local Rohingya in northern Maungdaw.

The Border Guard Police beat and torture Rohingyas for no reason; they extort money from them; they humiliate Rohingya women ; and sometimes, they even kill them (the innocent Rohingyas). However, the higher authorities just let them commit the atrocities with impunity.

The Burmese (Myanmar) Border Guard Police has ordered closures of several Rohingya owned-shops in southern Maungdaw, the local reports.

The Border Guard Police also known as BGP based in ‘Inn Din’ village ordered on December 17 to close down at least 10 Rohingya shops located at ‘Zaydi’ hamlet of ‘Kyauk Pandu’ village tract tract in southern Maungdaw. The order to close down the shops is said to have come from the BGP as the business of the shops booming with increasing customers.

“Around 10 Rohingya-owned shops located at Zadydi hamlet of Kyauk Pandu (Shitaaf) village tract. This is to say they are located by the road between Kyauk Pandu village and Thinbaw Kway (Kullon) village. They mainly sell basic commodities such as food stuffs, medicines and phone covers etc. Their business is blooming as their sales are increasing.

However, the evil eyes of Major Lin Lin Naing, the cruel BGP Commander in ‘Inn Din (Aan Daang) village,’ have fallen on their business. He, out of malice and jealousy, has subsequently ordered to close down the business accusing the owners of running the shops without their permission.

Now, due to the order and pressure to close the down the business, the lives of the owners will become difficult now,” said an elderly local Rohingya in a neighbouring village.

They have licenses and also taken permission from NaSaKa (the former Border Security Force, the predecessors of BGP) when they started business. However, the Burmese Buddhist Police just want to cripple Rohingyas economically” he continued.

Moreover, the BGP also frequently rob local traders and shopkeepers and extort money from them.

Similarly, two local Rohingya youths — Hamidullah Abul Hussein, 23, and Haroon, 27 — run small bamboo trading shop in ‘Kyauk Pandu.’ On December 17, the BGP forcibly took away around ‘300 Bamboos’ causing them a loss of Kyat 120,000.

“If our shops especially owned by youths make more sales and our business makes profits, the authorities wantonly disrupt them. It is a tactic being implemented for a long time to make the youths jobless and hopeless ultimately forcing them (the youths) to leave the country) once and for all” said a Rohingya student in Maungdaw

Five people who were sent to jail for their involvement in printing a calendar that stated that Rohingya Muslims are an ethnic-religious minority in Myanmar appeared for the third time at Yangon’s Pazundaung Township Court yesterday, charged under section 505(b) of the Penal Code.

Section 505(b) provides imprisonment for anyone making, publishing or circulating information which may cause public fear or alarm, and which may incite people to commit offences “against the State or against the public tranquillity”.

On November 21, the police searched Kyaw Press, situated at 54th Street, Pazundaung Township, and found 52 printing plates and 3,490 printed papers. Subsequently Pazundaung Township Police Force Police Major Khin Maung Latt registered a case against Kyaw Press owner Hoke Shwe (aka Kyaw Kyaw), Manager Ye Thu Aung, employees Win Naing aka Marmek, Zaw Min Oo (aka Harnik) and bookbinder Win Htwe (aka Ismail) as well as the man accused of ordering the calendar, Aung Khin, under section 20 of the Printing Law. They were consequently fined 1 million kyats each by Pazundaung trial court on November 23.

Defence lawyer Myo Min Swe representing Win Naing told Mizzima, “This case was finished with a 1 million kyat each fine on November 23 but the Pazundaung Police Station Police Major charged this case again under section 505(b) of Penal Code on November 24. Aung Khin who ordered the printing has absconded. The remaining five will be produced before the court today. The accused, Aung Khin, came to my client’s printing press ‘Shwe Letyar’ but he told him that he could not accept the order as his press was overloaded with other job orders and suggested he go to another printing press on 54th Street and so he was charged with abetting,”.

He further said that the case would take a long time as the court would examine prosecution witnesses first and then his client later.

During the court’s witness examination, prosecution witness Saw Tun, the Shwepyithar Township Ward No. 19 administrator, said that he visited and inspected the house of Aung Khin at No. 1018, Khwarnyo Street, Ward No. 19 on November 25 at 2 a.m. with Pazundaung police station House Officer and beat constable Aung Win. Aung Khin’s daughter told them that the house was a rented house and her father was out at the moment. The witness also told the court that they heard that Aung Khin might stay at his son’s house in Shwepyithar Township, Ward No. 20.

Today’s court proceedings were witnessed by the Htantabin Abbot from the Patriotic Myanmar Monks’ Union under directions given to him by the nationalist Buddhist organisation Ma Ba Tha.

The Htantabin Abbot said, “Our abbot U Parmaukkha came and witnessed the first hearing but today he was not free and asked me to come and witness the hearing. The statement given today by the prosecution witness was evasive and he didn’t give straight and clear answers. It will be premature to give comments on this case at the moment. We will continue to watch and monitor this case.”

The Pazundaung Township court judge Nay Aung Myin has fixed the next hearing for the 23rd of this month.

The Burmese (Myanmar) armed forces have been abusing the local Rohingyas as forced labours in southern Maungdaw for weeks, according to the local sources.

It has been learnt that the armed forces such as the Military and the Border Guard Police (BGP) force the local Rohingyas in ‘Kyauk Pandu (Shitaaf)’ village to labour in their camps from 6:00AM to 6:00PM on daily basis. If any Rohingya fails to follow their order, they humiliate and beat him; and extort money from him.

“There are two BGP camps and one military camp in ‘Kyauk Pandu’ village. Kyauk Pandu is a Rohingya village known as Shitaaf in Rohingya.

There are 800 households with a population of 9707. A member of each of the households has to work as forced labour more than twice in a month.

And hence, every day, nine people are subjected as forced labours in the military camp, while five people have to do labour works at each of the two BGP camps.

They are forced to work for the whole day without any payment under harsh conditions. They are subjected to mow grass; clean the premise and the lavatory; carry water; sweep floors; do cooking; water the plants and trees; and do other general stuffs,” said a local in southern Maungdaw.

Similarly, the Rohingyas from the nearby village, Thinbaw Kway (Kullon), are also said to be often falling victims into the forced labouring by the armed forces. Consequently, the poor villagers who find their bread and butter working on daily basis are finding difficult to survive.

At least five houses were destroyed and numbers of families were displaced following a landslide in the ancient ‘Apauk Wa’ Rohingya village in Kyauktaw Township on Tuesday night, a local said.

The landslide which occurred around 11:00PM on December 15 night also killed an elderly Rohingya person visiting the village from ‘Sidir Kul (Thaydar Kadi)’ village of ‘Punna Gyun’ Township. The landslide was reportedly triggered by a strong wind and the rising water in the adjacent river, according to a local of ‘Apauk Wa’ village also known as ‘Afauk.’

Some of the victims of the landslide have taken shelter with their kin, some others have been residing in the premises some other villagers. As the landslides are likely to occur more, the locals have begun to desert their settlements in the dangerous since yesterday.

Since the landslides hit the village, the displaced families have been under serious condition as they are having no humanitarian reliefs. The local Burmese authorities have ignored the victims as well, according to a local man in Kyauktaw.

“One old man has been missing and more than five houses were destroyed. The other families have also left their homes as it is likely that more landslides will occur.

But nobody has provided them any help. They are in serious condition. They need help,” said U Maung Maung, a local Rohingya man in Kyauktaw.

“The landslides have been taking place, destroying the Rohingya homes and depreciating their lands for years. During the floods and the cyclone Komen last July, more than 40 families their homes. They are still struggling. But the government and the other relief agencies have been ignoring them,” he continued.

The ‘Apauk Wa’ is an ancient Rohingya village located nearby a river and surrounded by the hostile Rakhine (Magh) village. The government has not provided them any help to prevent the further landslide although they (the government) floored the river bank with stones to prevent the landslides against a Rakhine village not so far away. And the Rohingya villagers are too poor to take any such kind of protective measure from further landslides.

The Burmese (Myanmar) Border Guard Police (BGP) robbed a house of a Ronhingya widow in northern Mangdaw on Tuesday night, the locals report.

The victim is identified to be 75-year-old Daw Mamuda from northern hamlet of ‘Ngakura (Nagpura)’ village tract. Around six BGP staffs — from the Ngakura Camp under the Commandment Area (Nay Myay) 5 — broke into her home around 9:00PM on December 15 and committed the robbery.

“Having destroyed the fence and the door, around 6 BGP personnel broke into the resident of the widow, Daw Mamuda, the wife of the late chairman of Ngakura village tract on Tuesday night. They searched her house and nothing illegal was found.

Yet, the BGP put a ‘Bangla SIM’ card into the rice bag by themselves. And they extorted Kyat 300,000 from her after accusing her of possessing illegal Bangala SIM Card.

Besides, they robbed Kyat 600,000 found in her locker,” said a relative of hers on the condition of anonymity.

The ruthless BGP extort money from the local Rohingya Muslims on arbitrary accusation, rob money and properties and break into their homes. Sometimes, they even go to the extent of killing innocent people. However, no higher authorities have taken actions against these ruthless BGP yet.

Yea Allah save us

The Burmese Buddhist Authorities vandalized and seized an Islamic Religious School in Maungdaw Township last Saturday morning, the eyewitnesses report.

The Basic Islamic Religious School also known as ‘Madrasa or Makhtab’ located at east ‘Pantaw Pyin (Nol Boinna)’ village in southern Maungdaw was partially damaged by the Komen Cyclone in July 2015. Hence, the religious committee (called GoPaKa) repaired the wall of the school structure/building and some other parts of it in early November.

Having the information of the servicing of the school building, the Border Guard Police (BGP) demanded Kyat 1.8 Million Fine from the village’s religious committee for the mending services though their (the BGP’s) henchmen/middlemen. Else, the Border Guard Police threatened that they would arrest and imprison the members of the religious committee. Thus, the school religious committee unwillingly gave the money to the middlemen to deliver to the Border Guard Police.

However, accusing that the BGP hadn’t received the money, a group of joint-authorities – comprising the head of the BGP from ‘Mangyi Chaung (Faatonza) No.12 Camp; Major Nyein Chan Aye, the commander of BGP from ‘Godusara Bridge Camp;’ the commander of BGP from Three-Mile Camp; along with other BGP Personnel; three staffs from the Township Administration; and a few staffs from the Religious Department — arrived at ‘Pantaw Pyin’ around 9:00AM on November 12. After that, they took the administrator of the village, U Furuk Ahmed, along with them and went to the place of the Religious School.

And they destroyed the Religious School by subjecting some of the locals to forced labour to destroy the religious school. After that, they seized and detained the religious school to prevent the local Rohingya Muslims from enrolling religious classes.

“The School committee gave the money as the fine although the servicing was just  for a school. However, the authorities said that they didn’t receive any money. Either the money might have disappeared in the middle/used by the middlemen who are also the best-men of the village ‘administrator, Furuk Ahmed, or the authorities have lied.

But now, they have damaged and seized the school. We are unable to conduct classes anymore. Here, we don’t have any basic human rights including freedom to education and free-worshipping although we are sons of the soil,” said a local in Maungdaw.

The Burmese (Myanmar) Border Guard Police (BGP) is forcibly collecting woods from the local Rohingyas for a Buddhist Monastery being built in southern Maungdaw, according to the reliable sources.

Major Lin Lin Naing, The Commander of the BGP Camp 18, has promised the Buddhist Sanctuary Committee to donate 12 Tons of Woods to the monastery being built in the Rakhine (Magh) hamlet of ‘Inn Din (Aan Daang)’ village tract, southern Maungdaw. The monastery is being rebuilt for the abbot of the monastery committed an immoral act with a girl in the earlier monastery.

“The Abbot (Chief Monk) of the Monastery in Rakhine (Magh) hamlet of ‘Aan Daang’ village tract had a sexual affair with a local Rakhine girl last August. When the local Natala Rakhines (Rakhines a from Newly Established Model Village) came to know about that, they planned to relocate the monastery.

Soon, the time of the execution of their plan coincided with the election time here. Therefore, the Natala Rakhines approached USDP party and said they would vote for them if they (USDP) provided them money for the monastery to be built. Hence, the USDP gave them Kyat 30 Million for the monastery.

Later, in late November, the Natala Rakhines and the other Rakhines from another hamlet held a meeting and agreed to knock down the current monastery (where the abbot had a sexual affair with a girl) and build a new one at the same place.

The BGP commander, Major Lin Lin Naing, promised them to donate 12 tons of woods for the monastery to be built. So, he has started to force the local Rohingyas to provide him woods to fulfil the promise given. He has ordered in three Rohingya villages — Inn Din (Aan Daang), Thinbaw Kway (Kullon) and Kyauk Pandu (Shitaaf) — to provide him 24 tons of Woods by the end of December.

Other 12 tons might be for his personal use.

He has already received 4 tons but he returned some of them calling them bad quality woods. He’s makig the donations by immoral means by forcing and pressing some other innocent people,” said an elderly Rohingya in southern Maungdaw.

Being poor people making their daily ends meet by working on daily basis, the local Rohingya lumberjacks and loggers face hardships in their daily lives as they have been given ultimatum of gathering 24 tons of Quality Woods by the end of this December.

 A gang of Rakhine (Magh) Buddhist extremists beat up the Rohingya farmers working in their lands in Mrauk U Township last Saturday, occupying their farmlands afterwards, reliable sources report. 

The incident of the gross injustice happened against the local Rohingya farmers of ‘Bu Talong’ village tract in Mrauk U Township. However, the local Burmese authorities came forward to help the local Rohingya victims.

“Some farmers were working in their paddy fields at ‘Shwe Lan’ hamlet of ‘Bu Talong’ village tract last Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, many Rakhine Magh extremists appeared suddenly and beat them up in gang. They accused the local Rohingyas of not being citizens and being illegal Bengalis. And so they occupied their (Rohingyas’) lands by force” said an eyewitness on the condition of anonymity.

Some of the victims beaten up and whose lands forcibly occupied are:

• Abdu Munaf – 6 Acres of his Land Occupied by Rakhine extremists
• Sirazul Hoque – 1 Acre of his Land Occupied by Rakhine extremists
• Abdul Hakim – 1 Acre of his Land Occupied by Rakhine extremists
• Naeem – 2 Acres of his Land Occupied by Rakhine extremists

The Rohingya people in Mrauk-U (Fatthar Killa) Township are a very small minority surrounded by dominantly hostile Rakhine extremists. They have lost most of their access to livelihoods since the violence began in June 2012. Now, the Rakhine extremists are crippling the remaining aspects of the means of their livelihoods.

After election it has increased attack to the innocent Rohingya and killed everyday the young Rohingya by the terrorist group of RNDP and ALP ! Is it rule of law or Jungle of law according to Aung Saan Suu Kyi where no security and citizenship rights to the aboriginal Rohingya community ! Is it war against Muslim Ummah by Burmese Buddhist military regime .. But no country going to attack on Myanmar military regime even innocent Rohingya killed everyday 😭😭😭

 A newly posted Burmese Police officer has been attempting to cripple the livelihoods of the marginalized, isolated and poor Rohingya community in Pauktaw Township since his transfer to the place, according to the local reports.

The Lieutenant police officer named U Tun Thar has been posted in ‘Anna Raing (Anauk Ywe)’ station nearby the camps of internally displaced people (IDP) reportedly by the district police.

Since the violence began against the Rohingya in June 2012, the locals as well as IDPs in ‘Anna Raing’ have been surviving only by fishing in the river and sea and humanitarian help occasionally. However, as the new police officer arrived, he has started to beat the Rohingya fishermen and been listing down all the boat-owners in order to extort money from them.

“When we come out with boats, he abuses and beats us. He is preventing us from going out for fishing. He’s oppressing us a lot.

He has been posted here by the District Police. He’s very cruel. Our fishermen can’t move around. Consequently, many people are facing difficulties to make their daily ends meet. Few are even starving,” said a local in Pauktaw Township.

“We appeal to the higher authority of Myanmar to take proper and effective action against this police officer. We want him to be transferred away from here,” he added.

 A group of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) has been robbing the local Rohingyas in northern Maungdaw for several months and accusing them with false charges for ransom, according to the reliable sources.

The gang of the money-extorting police consist of Corporal U Khin Hlaing and Staff Officers: U Zaw Zaw Aung and U Aung Kyaw Min from ‘Kyein Chaung (Boli Bazaar)’ Border Guard Police station.

Of them, U Zaw Zaw Aung preyed a Rohingya from Buthidaung Township around 9:30AM on December 7 as his latest victim of robbery.

“U Ata Ullah Mohammed Hussein, 35, is a local of ‘Chaung Taung’ village in northern Buthidaung. On December morning, he was coming to ‘Boli Bazaar’ village market to buy some food stuffs across the mountain valley. As he reached the junction nearby ‘Kyaik Chaung’ hamlet of ‘Londoong’ village tract in northern Maungdaw, three BGP personnel including Zaw Zaw Aung stopped him.

They accused him of illegally travelling to Bangladesh, beat him and robbed Kyat 50,000 out of Kyat 650,000 he had with him. The poor man robbed by the BGP had to go back crying,” said an eyewitness.

The BGP staff Zaw Zaw Aung and his colleagues arbitrarily arrest innocent Rohingyas from nearby villages and relase them only after extorting money. It has become their habit now. Now, he has become even worse. He robs and extorts more money from the Rohingyas giving excuse that he has to shares some money to his higher officer.

A local recounted what he says “I want to get promotions. That’s why I need to take more money for you and give them to the ‘G1,’ the Commander of the Station 14. He has become more barbaric now.

Myanmar’s armed forces have been brutally exercising force on the Rohingya people in Buthidaung Township since late November, the locals report. 

The brutal use of force stemmed from an incident of theft of Rohingya-owned livestock by two *Rakhine (Magh) Dinets at ‘Lun Chaung’ village in northern Buthidaung on November 27. The theft subsequently led to a minor conflict between the local Rohingyas and the Rakhine Dinets.

However, the Border Guard Police (BGP) taking the side of the Rakhine extremists have blown the incident out of proportion. They have been harassing, beating and arbitrarily arresting the Rohingyas although the theft had been committed by the Rakhine Dinets.

The brutal exercise have gone so extreme that the Rohingyas now fear to live in their own homes and have to stay outside to escape the arbitrary arrests. The whole account of the on-going oppression of the people has been reported as follows.

“Mr. Habibur Rahman is a local of ‘Lun Chaung’ village in northern Buthidaung. It was around 7:00AM on November 27 his domestic ducks were foraging in the ‘San Chaung’ river between ‘Lun Chaung’ river and ‘Ngachin Tauk’ village.

Meanwhile, two Rakhine Dinet youths arrived in the river and caught two ducks from the river. As they were stealing them away, two young daughters of Habibur Rahman looking after the ducks saw them. And the Rakhine thieves whacked the two girls as they tried to snatch the ducks back from their (the thieves’) hands. So, one girl injuries on her head and blood began to spill out, another got injury in her hand. The thieves also beat the two children accompanied the girl.

As the girls cried out for help, their younger brother and one of their elder cousins, Azizur Rahman Rashidullah rushed to the place for their rescue. And there was a brawl between the two (Rakhine Dinet) thieves and the Rohingya boys trying to defend their sisters. And there was a bus carrying ‘Dinet’ passengers aboard. They stopped their bus, came towards the place of the brawl and beat the Rohingya boys with the iron rods. And so, the other Rohingya villagers advanced to save the Rohingya boys and hence, the Rakhine Dinets beating the boys had to back off.

However, the two Rohingya boys received severe injuries from the attacks by the Dinets. One of the Dinets also got injury on his head. Afterwards, the Rakhine Dinets from ‘Ngachin Tauk’ and ‘Laung Chaung’ marched in crowd and indiscriminately attacked any Rohingya they encountered. As the Rohingya defended, the situation became tensed between the groups.

But U Khin Zaw Tun @Zaw Zaw, the admininstrator of ‘Laung Chaung,’ and U Kyaw Sein Hla, the administrator of ‘Ngachin Tauk’ village, (both of whom are also Rakhine Dinets) exaggerated the situation and reported to the higher authorities as though a big Riot broke out and the Rohingays were mass-murdering Rakhines. Therefore, at 10:00AM, a joint group of authorities and armed forces comprising the Border Guard Police (BGP) Commander in ‘Taung Bazaar’ village and his squad, Tactical Operation Commander and G1 from Buthidaung MOC (Military Operation Command), the Township Administrator of Buthidaung and Buthidaung Township Police Commander (U Aung Baa Le) arrived at the place of the incident.

After investigating how the situation had become tensed, the BGP Commander and the G1 of the MOC concluded that it was the fault of the Rakhine Dinets who went to steal the properties of different people by going to their villages. Hence, it was not the fault of the (Rohingya) Muslims. And therefore, it was not a racial or religious conflict. After that, they asked the police to solve the problem calling it a police case and all the higher authorities left respectively.

Nevertheless, the Border Guard Police (BGP) besieged the Rohingya hamlets in ‘Laung Chaung’ and ‘Ngachin Tauk’ village tracts until 9:30PM of the day. And the BGP arrested the two Rohingya boys injured while attempting to defend the two girls from the Rakhine Dinets and took them to their station. On the other hand, the Rakhine Dinets submitted a list of seven Rohingyas including the two arrested claiming that they (the seven Rohingyas) attacked them. The BGP summoned the remaining five Rohingyas to their station. But they haven’t made to the station as they were not involved in the brawl.

Since then, the two Rakhine Dinets village administrators and the lower-level BGP officials have been jointly raiding Rohingya villages daily. They accuse rich Rohingyas from the villages accusing them of involving in the brawl and extorting money from them. Moreover, the extremist Rakhine Dinets — the two said Rakhine Dinet administrators of ‘Laung Chaung’ and ‘Ngachin Tauk’ villages; two other Dinets, sons of U Shingaw from ‘Laung Chaung’ village; and sons of Dinet U Naing Kyar and his brother, Aung Kyaw Lin, from ‘Ngachin Tauk’ village – together with the BGP have been threatening to destroy the Rohingya community there.

They are saying ‘we will destroy you all *Kulars this time taking advantage of this chance.’

On December 5 morning, the BGP; and U Zaw Zaw, the administrator of ‘Ngachin Tauk’ village and his team arrested six innocent Rohingya women from the village. They were forcibly taken to the administrator’s residence and detained them there for the whole day with their hands tied. In the evening, the BGP and the administrator released them having forced them to give a wrong confession that the conflict was started by the Rohingyas.

They are:

• the wife of Mohammed Sayeed Abdul Rahman
• the wife of Rafique Fazil
• the wife of Arafat Hamid
• the wife of Hamid Habi
• the wife of Khala
• Daw Tunnya Bi Sultan Ahmed

Again on December 6, four Rohingya youths were arrested and tortured inhumanely. The BGP released them having extorted Kyat 200,000 from each of them. Besides, the above-mentioned six women were arrested yet again on December 6 morning and taken to the BGP station in ‘Taung Bazaar’ where they were forced to give the same wrong confession that Rohingyas started the conflict. And they were released in the evening.

Around 9:00PM of the day, the above-mentioned BGP group and the village administrator raided ‘Laung Chaung’ village. There, they inhumanely kicked the wife of Azizur Rahman. The wife of Kamal Hussein, who’s pregnant, was also kicked and detained at the residence of the 100-household head. And they beat and arrested further 6 Rohingya youths at night on the same day (December 6).

Yesterday morning (on December 7) morning, they arrested further two Rohingyas who were reaping paddy in their field. The BGP released the total 8 people arrested in the evening having extorted Kyat 150,000 from each of them. The wife of Kamal Hussein was released along with them after squeezing Kyat 50,000 from her.

The BGP Commander spoke the truth on the day of the incident (on November 27) that it was the fault of Rakhine Dinets. Yet, he and his police staffs are arbitrarily arresting people since he is now lust for money from the Rohingya people.

The atrocitious acts are going on against our people. No one is stopping the barbaric BGP and the Rakhine extremists.

We can’t sleep at home. People are going into hiding to escape the persecutions.

Burmese Police officer has been attempting to cripple the livelihoods of the marginalized, isolated and poor Rohingya community in Pauktaw Township since his transfer to the place, according to the local reports.

The Lieutenant police officer named U Tun Thar has been posted in ‘Anna Raing (Anauk Ywe)’ station nearby the camps of internally displaced people (IDP) reportedly by the district police.

Since the violence began against the Rohingya in June 2012, the locals as well as IDPs in ‘Anna Raing’ have been surviving only by fishing in the river and sea and humanitarian help occasionally. However, as the new police officer arrived, he has started to beat the Rohingya fishermen and been listing down all the boat-owners in order to extort money from them.

“When we come out with boats, he abuses and beats us. He is preventing us from going out for fishing. He’s oppressing us a lot.

He has been posted here by the District Police. He’s very cruel. Our fishermen can’t move around. Consequently, many people are facing difficulties to make their daily ends meet. Few are even starving,” said a local in Pauktaw Township.

“We appeal to the higher authority of Myanmar to take proper and effective action against this police officer. We want him to be transferred away from here,” he added.

The Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) shot a young Rohingya man to death in Maungdaw Township last night, according to the local reliable sources. The victim is identified to be Musaa @Maung Maung (son of) Master Abul Kalam, 25, hails from Quarter 4, Buthidaung Township. He was shot down by the BGP at Aung Mingalar village’s Check-post — before Maung Nama (Mondama) village around 10:00PM last night. “It was around 10:00PM last night he was on his way back to Buthidaung from northern Maungdaw. He was coming by a mini-van driven by a Rakhine (Magh) man, reportedly a friend/business partner of his. There were other four Rakhines on the van as well. The BGP at the ‘Aung Mingalar’ Check-post — before Maung Nama (Mondama) village — asked the car to stop. However, the van driver stopped it. Suddenly, there was a gun-shot. When we saw towards there, the bullet straightly hit on the head of the young Rohingya and he died on the spot. We don’t know anything else after that,” said an eyewitness. It has been learnt the Rakhine van-driver and other Rakhines have later gone into hiding. The BGP said that it was an accidental firing during the check-up of the van that killed the person. However, the victim’s relatives feel that the BGP wantonly shot the Rohingya youth at the point-blank-range to rob his money. According to them, he was coming back with money after having done a trade deal in ‘Kyein-Chaung (Boli Bazaar) village in northern Maungdaw. “He had around more than 10 Million Kyats with him as he was coming back. He phoned his parents before he left from Boli Bazaar around 8:00PM yesterday. So, the BGP killed him for his money. Other five Rakhines including the driver might have involved with the BGP in killing him,” said one of his relatives. The dead body of the killed victim was later admitted to Maungdaw General Hospital for post-mortem. After that, it was transferred to the family members in Buthidaung around 4:00AM today. Since recently, there has been escalation of killings of innocent Rohingya people, either by Rakhine extremists or the armed forces, all over the Arakan state. This has been the latest incident.

The Rakhine (Magh) Extremists brutally killed a young Rohingya man in Pauktaw Township, Arakan State, this afternoon.

The victim is identified to be ‘Mohammed Harun Qasim,’ 27, hails from Plot-5, Depaing village in Sittwe (Akyab) Township. He was ganged up and killed by the Rakhine extremists around 3:30 PM today on his way to visit his relatives in ‘Kye Ni Pyin’ IDP Camps.

“We need to cross a dangerous mountain valley if we have to go to ‘Kye Ni Pyin’ village from ‘Ana Raing’ village. The mountain valley so narrow that only one person can cross/ go along at one time.

On the half way as he along with three other people, one man from ‘Ana Raing’ village and other two being children from the same village, was crossing the mountain, around 10-12 Rakhine extremists threatened and chased them. While the three people including the children managed to escape as they were familiar with the place, but unfortunately the now-killed person didn’t.

The Rakhine extremists held him and beat them with ‘Teak’ Wood Pieces. And they squashed his head with a big stone,” said a local Rohingya in Pauktaw quoting an eyewitness of the incident.

It has been learnt that the Sin-Htet-Maw Police and the military made to the place as the other three people fleeing the deadly incident reported. His dead body was there until 5:00 PM.

After that, they brought his corpse and showed to the villagers of ‘Ana Raing.’

Around 8:00 PM tonight, the dead body was taken away to the office of the township administration of Pauktaw. The police also took the three people (including the children) along with them as the witnesses to the crime (triggered by racial hatred/racism).

“He was bleeding even after he was dead. His body was of full of bruises and injuries. His head was literally squashed,” exclaimed an eyewitness.

Since the state-sponsored violence against Rohingyas in Myanmar in June 2012, Rakhine extremists have killed hundreds of Rohingyas in this brutal way all over Arakan.

Muhammad Haroon,s/o U Kasim,28 years old,Dar Paing village,Sittwe went to Anok Ywe village,Pauktaw township,Arkan to see some of his relatives 30.11.2015. 5 Dec 2015 at about 3:00 PM, Muhammad Haroon took 3 Rohingyas resident guys of Anok Ywe village as companions and they four were going to Kyin Ni Pyin IDP camp,Pauktaw from Anok Ywe village passing through mountain to see Muhammad Haroon's relative in Kyin Ni Pyin IDP camp.When they got dale,suddely a Rakhinese extremist group from Sin Aing(Rakhinese) village near the mountain came and attacked on the four Rohingy guys.So the four Rohingya guys run away to escape from Rakhinese extremists.But unfortunately 3 resident guy of Anok Ywe village could escape from Rakhinese extremist as they know the way to be out from the mountain and Muhammad Haroon couldn'r escape as he was new in the mountain and didn't know the way to be out from the mountain.Then Rakhinese extremists brutally killed Muhammad Haroon.And then the three guys came to Anok Ywe village and told the villagers what was happening with them in the mountain.Then villagers informed it to the soldiers and the soldiers went to the mountain.When the soldiers got to the mountain,Rakhinese extremists had gone and dead body of Muhammad Haroon was found with injuries.Soldirlers brought the dead body to Anok Ywe village and now the dead body would be taken to Pauktaw Hospital for post mortem.

A village administrator has been repeatedly raping a Rohingya woman abusing his power in Buthidaung Township for weeks, according to the reliable sources.

The administrator is a Rakhine (Magh) Buddhist extremist named ‘Maung Chan Thar’ administrating a Rohingya village, ‘Phaya Pyin Aung Pha,’ in Buthidaung Township. The recurrent raped victim is identified to be ‘Daw T’ (real name withheld for privacy), 38, from plot 1 of the village.

“The Magh extremist administrator, Maung Chan Thar, and his henchman visit the house of a widow named Daw T often and rape her using the authority of an administrator. When she tries to refuse, they beat her and threaten to imprison her. She asks for help from others but nobody dares help her knowing the brutalities of the extremist administrator.

So, the villagers have to be quiet and the helpless woman is subjected to rape repeatedly,” said an elder person in Buthidaung on the condition of anonymity.

The village administrator has a long history of persecuting and oppressing the innocent Rohingya villagers.

“On November 30, the village administrator extorted Kyat 50,000 from Mr. Jamil Sayed Kasim, 23, hails from ‘Ayuchaa’ hamlet of ‘Phaya Pyin Aung Pha’ village tract after accusing him of using ‘Bangala Phone.’ On the same day, he extorted Kyat 70,000 from Mr. Yaasin Shomsu, 42, hails from plot 7 of the village by alleging him of having illegal relationships with multiple women.

The village administrator commits crimes by himself. And he extorts money from others under arbitrary accusations,” he continued.

Rohingya MP U Shwe Maung visit rohingya Comunity member in Chicago.IL

The 969 and MaBaTha Extremist Monks held gatherings with Rakhine (Magh) Buddhist extremists in Maungdaw District in late November 2015, the reliable sources report. 

On November 22 evening, 10 Buddhist Monks, members of 969 Group of Extremist Monks and MaBaTha Extremist Group of Monks, arrived in Buthidaung Township, one of the two townships comprising in Maungdaw District and the another township being Maungdaw Township itself.

In Buthidaung at night, they held a gathering at a Rakhine residence in ‘Nyaung Chaung’ village with the Rakhine extremists from the village and its surrounding villages. And on 23rd November, they held a meeting with the Rakhine members of 969 extremist groups in the downtown of Buthidaung.

On 23rd November evening, they arrived in Maungdaw Township. On 24th November morning, they held a gathering with the members of 969 Group in Maungdaw, the Monks and the Rakhine extremists, at ‘Alludaw Bye’ Monastery in Myoma Kayintan (Shidda Fara).  In the evening, they gathered again the monastery at ‘Three-Mile-Area’ Maungdaw.

“Although we don’t know what they have discussed about, it is always an unwelcoming signs like Omen. They always hold gatherings to plot against Muslims. We are worried as well as on alert,” said an elderly Rohingya in Maungdaw.

The 969 Group is a group of extremist Monks and Buddhists in Myanmar led by Abbot U Wirathu labelled as the ‘Face of Buddhist Terror’ by TIME Magazine, whereas the MaBatha Group is another group of extremist monks under the banner of ‘Association for Protection of Race and Religion’ led by another high-profile extremist Buddhist Abbot known as ‘Sitagu Monk.

Myanmar does not use or recognize the term ‘Rohingya’ when talking about the hundreds of thousands of displaced Muslims in Arakan (Rakhine) State.

But foreign governments, leaders, journalists and NGOs use the word frequently as its their ancestral name, which dozens of Racist Bhuddist Organizations in Arakan (Rakhine) State denies to recognize.

To end that ancestral naming, more than 60 civil society groups in Arakan (Rakhine) have banded together to demand that authorities bar usage of the offending word, the Voice Weekly reported.

Daw Saw Khin Myint, the head of the Arakan (Rakhine) Literature and Cultural Development Committee, reportedly asked the government to step in during a press conference about the terminology on Monday.

She singled out the news media, which should be stopped from using what she called the “illegal word,” the Voice Weekly reported.

U Kyaw Sein, chairman of the Rakhine Patriotic Organization, said since parliament has already decided “whether Rohingya exist or not,” the term should be officially scrapped. And especially with the National League for Democracy (NLD) coming to power early next year, Kyaw Sein is worried that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party might not hold the line, even though a spokesman has indicated he has nothing to worry about.

“There are some international pressures which might be higher in the next government period. So the present government should issue a statement,” he was quoted as saying.

Many of the Rohingya live in displaced camps in Arakan (Rakhine) State and were not allowed to vote in the recent election that swept the NLD to power.

The Suu Kyi government faces a challenge in Arakan (Rakhine), whose nationalist party won 22 parliamentary seats on November 8, the largest by far of any ethnic party. They have the support of nationalist Buddhist monks whose influence is still a factor.

Though no official ban on the terminology exists, Myanmar’s refusal to recognize the group despite being living there for generations in their own land. In the last week, several men were arrested for printing a calender that used the word ‘Rohingya.’

While Rohingya Muslims were unable to vote, many Muslim candidates were also disqualified. The lack of votes and candidates in addition to the overwhelming popularity of the NLD boded ill for religious pluralism. As a result, Myanmar’s new parliament will have no Muslim MPs for the first time in post-independence history.

Note: Changes have been made, Coconuts Yangon is not responsible for these.