Arakan News Updates: Neo-Nazi U Aung Min Soe and his Fascist Speech

Buthidaung, Arakan - U Aung Min Soe is a Rakhine (Magh) extremist and the head of the Maung Daw district administration that includes Maung Daw Tsp and Buthidaung Tsp. At 1PM yesterday (i.e. December 30, 2012), Maung Daw district administration gathered around 300 Rohingya Elders (from Buthidaung Tsp) at U Uttama Hall in Buthidaung Tsp. The administration authorities delivered speeches concerning a) uncertain data collection under the heading of illegal Bengali immigrants and invaders in computerized fingerprint system b) and Elections for the Administrations of the villages and quarters in the township. 

Of all the speeches delivered, the speech of the above-mentioned U Aung Min Soe was the bitterest, most chauvinistic, inauspicious, and fascist-and-neo-Nazi styled. Following are the some excerpts from his speeches.

1. You, people, are the descendants of foreigners. So, you all are foreigners as well. You must live here the way foreigners do. 
2. You don’t have any rights to possess properties or belongings worth more than Kyat 5,000,000 (Approximately US$ 6,000). 
3. You don’t have any rights to own a house, building, any kind of land, business and so on. 
4. You are not qualified to elect an administrator of a quarter or a village or to be elected as so. (In fact, most of the present administrators of the villages or quarters in Rohingya majority areas are and the former school teachers were Rohingyas themselves).
5. You will never have any rights equal to Rakhine Buddhists. 

Due to his racist and fascist speeches and ferocious movements in Buthidaung and Maung Daw nowadays, Rohingyas are living in fear of being the victims of targeted violence again led by Arakan State Administration (formed solely with Rakhine extremists) and Security Forces (Composed of mainly Rakhines). U Aung Min Soe is an extremist, anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim. Likewise, Arakan State Administration and its Security Forces are also anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim. 

U Aung Ming Soe has been in the forefront in systematically creating and plotting violence against Rohingyas triggered in June 2012. His book, Paccima Zone Magazine, Vol.1, published in February 2012, clearly proves that the violence against Rohingyas and Kamans in Arakan is plotted and conspired by Rakhine Extremists in the Administration, the radical Rakhine Buddhist Monks and other Rakhine (Magh) terrorists with the supports of Political-Gain-Centered Central Government of Myanmar.

128 Rohingyas languish in India's Andamans

December 30, 2012

Kolkata — The 128 Rohingyas, whose boat drifted into India's Andaman islands earlier this month, say they don't want to go back to Myanmar. 

Authorities in the Andaman archipelago say the Rohingyas were trying to reach Malaysia from Myanmar's Rakhine state, but their boat drifted towards the Andamans. 

The boat came ashore at Narcoddum islands on Dec 9. Indian coast guards who intercepted the boat were told by the Rohingyas that they were trying to reach Malaysia. 

"They said their condition in Myanmar is desperate and so they want to reach Malaysia. But now they are stuck here in the Andamans," said an Indian official. 

The Indians are in a fix. The Rohingyas are determined not to return to Myanmar because they anticipate trouble if they are handed back. Malaysia, or any other country, will not take them for obvious reasons. India can only keep them for some time. 

Hundreds of Muslim Rohingyas are trying to flee from Myanmar's Rakhine state ever since the riots between them and Buddhist Rakhines erupted in summer and then again in autumn. Close to 80,000 of them have been rendered homeless and herded into makeshift camps by Myanmar authorities. Many have died at sea when their boats capsized.

Security forces surround a Rohingya village for 10 hours in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: A joint security forces – police, Hluntin and Burma border security force (Nasaka) – had surrounded a Rohingya village from midnight 1:00am till morning 11:00am today, according to a politician from Maungdaw.

“The security forces had surround the Nyaung Chang (Khadir Bill) village- situated near the three miles checked point – at about 1:00 am midnight and blocked every points where all the villagers are not able to escape the village. The security forces kept all Rohingya villagers who are living in the farms and not allow to go to the village.”
The Nasaka Director Col. Aung Naing Oo, the district police officer Kaun Hla San and the officer in charge of Hluntin arrived at nyaung Chang early morning  and checked all the Rohingya villagers who were kept by security forces at night and released all the villagers, said a villager from Nyaung Chang.
“The security forces entered the village and checked one by one the houses of Rohingya villager till 11:00am. But, the security forces didn’t arrest any Rohingya villagers from the village.”
The security forces are looking some 18 Rohingya villagers, but they didn’t found them in the village and the security forces asked the villagers – children and female- about any strangers in the village, according to an official.
“The authority searched the village as there are some people who are aliens.”
“The villagers – children and female- become afraid while the security forces searched the homes inside the village.”
An elder from Maungdaw said, there is a so-called arrest warrant issued by Maungdaw court which was not published to the public and whenever police want to extort money from Rohingya, the police mention the so-called arrest warrant. But, there was not happened like this, it is look a operation to us.
“We fear that Rohingya community might the face the similar situation sooner or later.”

Authority forces to register as Bengali

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  The authority – Burma border security force (Nasaka) –is forcing Rohingya community to register as Bengali, with registration process which includes taking digital fingerprints and photographs since early this month, according to a village admin officer from Maungdaw.

“The Nasaka called the Rohingya villagers under their area, to register by forced to accept Bengali as their ethnicity which is not accepting by Rohingya community.”
The Nasaka personnel from Headquarters summoned Gyikanpin ( Kawarbil)  villagers to it office where the Nasaka forced the Rohingya to signature on a blank paper where the Nasaka mentioned  Bengali as ethnic on December 27. But, the Rohingya villagers didn’t signature on it, according to an elder from Gyikanpin village.
“It is the order of high authority, you must follow it, and otherwise you will fire for it,” said a Nasaka officer. “If you will not signature on this paper, you are not belong to this land.”
Similarly, Nasaka officer Win Hlaing and Tun Tun Naing are forcing Rohingya community from Ngarkhura village to register as Bengali under digital fingerprints and photographs registration process on December 22, according to a teacher from Ngarkhura village.
“When the Nasaka officers ordered to village admin officer to bring Rohingya villagers to their office, the Rohingya refused to go to the office and to register as per the Nasaka willing.”
It is the order of higher authority. If you don’t follow the order, will be arrested and prosecuted, the officer told the villagers.
But, the Rohingya community didn’t follow the order to register as per Nasaka plan. The Nasaka started again to made harassment the Rohingya while going to the Ngarkhura market where the Nasaka and village admin official called Rohingya community who were going to market to their office where the Nasaka and village admin official forcefully taking digital fingerprints and photographs for registration process, said an elder from the village.
“Now, the villagers are not going to the market to avoid from forcefully taking digital fingerprints and photographs for registration process. The market has no people and Rohingya become again helpless for their survival.”

Armies collect paddy in Rathedaung Township

Rathedaung, Arakan State:  Armies from Rathedaung Township have been collecting paddy from Rohingya villagers since December third week from their hired arable lands to Rohingya villagers after seizing from them, a village farmer said preferring not to be named.
“The armies collected 13 Tangs (one Tang = 35 kg) per acre from the villagers. The arable lands were owned by Rohingya villagers, but these were seized by armies earlier for their purposes and again hired to the Rohingya farmers year by year at the rate of 13 Tans per acre.”
This year, in 2012, Rohingya farmers fully did not able to grow paddy in their hired arable lands from the armies because of violence in June between Rakhine and Rohingya communities. But, army forcibly collected paddy for those arable lands in which they were not able to grow paddy during violence, said another villager from the locality.
The armies seized 200 acres of arable lands only from the Tha Pay Taw village tract of Rathedaung Township. In similar way, the armies moreover seized arable lands from other Rohingya village tracts of eastern Rathedaung Township.
The villagers are facing difficulties, as they have no paddy to pay army, so they have to buy paddy from outside to fulfill the demand of armies, said a local youth.
At present, Rohingya villagers are not free from movement restriction in Rathedaung Township. They have to get permission from Village Administration Officer (VAO) after paying Kyat 200 per head and also have to inform to local Nasaka camp to go to market. But all the villagers are not allowed to go to market, only for shopkeepers, said a villager elder on condition of anonymity.

Army arrests over 15 woodcutters in Maungdaw south

Maungdaw,Arakan State: More than 15 Rohingya woodcutters were arrested by a group of military on December 25, evening, said a villager.
"A group of military accompanied by some Rakhine youths arrested the Rohingya woodcutter while they were returning their home after collecting firewood."
A woodcutter said that some woodcutters from Khonzabill and Udaung village went to forest for collecting firewood on December 25, morning at about 8:00am. Of them, two are identified as Islam 50, of Udaung village and  Hashim, 25, son of Md. Noor hailed from Khonzabil.
On their way, they were arrested by military from the forest in the evening, he more added.
After arrest, they were severely beaten up on the spot. Later, they were brought to the military camp of Sommona.
In the camp, they were also severely tortured after taking off their shirts,sources said.
However, they were released after taking kyat 10,000 to 15,000, said a relative.

Rohingya Trucked North: Checkpoint Exposes 127 in Minivan Convoy

Rohingya arrested in southern Thailand await return to the Burma border

(Photo - 77 Nation Channel)

Chutima Sidasathian & Alan Morison 

Phuket Wan

December 27, 2012 

PHUKET: A total of 127 Rohingya have been arrested in southern Thailand and trucked back to the Thailand-Burma border. 

Those held were in five minivans in a convoy bound for the Malaysian border crossing at Padang Besar in Songkhla province.

On December 24 a police-Army checkpoint in Satun province pulled over two of the vans, which each contained 22 men and boys. 

The drivers of another three minivans fled after dropping off their passengers, who totalled 83. 

The youngest of those arrested was a boy aged 10. Most of the captured Rohingya were teenagers or young men. 

Hundreds are fleeing the Burmese state of Rakhine where thousands of homes have been torched since June in a simmering racial conflict between local residents and the Muslim Rohingya.

About 170 are reported to have been killed in the conflict, which has left thousands of Rohingya confined in displaced persons camps. 

Many prefer to take their chances by paying people smugglers and fleeing by sea, with Malaysia as the target for most.

How the Rohingya arrested on December 24 got to Songkhla province in southern Thailand is not known. Part of their journey was probably made by sea. 

Brokers on the Thai-Malaysia border are known to systematically transfer Rohingya south from camps hidden in plantations in Thailand with the connivance of officials in both countries.

The arrest of the 127 may have come because the officers at the checkpoint are not part of the system or rival brokers have perhaps fallen out. 

The arrests were made by officers from Khuankalong police station in Satun, where Lieutenant Sompong Meechoo said local police were not part of any smuggling group. 

''The Rohingya will be trucked straight back to Ranong,'' he said, referring to the Thai-Burma border port hundreds of kilometres to the north where the arrested men and boys could possibly have stopped off on their journey. 

Because the arrested Rohingya are inevitably all men and boys, some reports speculate that they could be heading to join the insurgency in Thailand's south.

Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command has checked out these reports over several years but never found evidence to justify them.

Isoc tallies 2817 Rohingya arrested or ''helped on'' in Thailand in October and November. 

Other experts in the deep south conflict say there has never been an instance where a single Rohingya has been killed or injured in incriminating circumstances in eight years of conflict. 

Chris Lewa, director of the advocacy group Arakan Project, said: ''Rohingya only transit through Thailand on their way to Malaysia, helped on by Thai authorities. 

''There has never been any evidence of Rohingya involvement in the deep South insurgency. 

''Why should countries in the region repeatedly make these kinds of assumptions just because they are Muslims?''

The Rohingya are protective of their womenfolk, who seldom venture far from home. However, having a boy of 10 among the latest batch of arrests indicates some are becoming more desperate to flee Burma. 

Hundreds of Rohingya are believed to be voyaging past the Andaman coast and the holiday island of Phuket this relatively tranquil October-April ''sailing season.''

Those apprehended on land north of Phuket are usually trucked quickly back to Ranong, often described as Burmese to reduce complications. 

As stateless non-citizens, the Rohingya are not wanted back in Burma so they are usually delivered to people smugglers. 

The smugglers demand extra payments and those who cannot meet the terms are usually put to work in fish factories or indentured to trawlers.

Earlier this month, Singapore refused to allow a Vietnamese cargo ship to dock with 40 Rohingya who survived a sinking in which 200 are thought to have drowned. 

All of Burma's Asean neighbors continue to turn a blind eye to the tacit ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya now underway in Burma.