Authorities use two laws to two communities in one place for Cyclone Mahasem

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The high officials from Maungdaw are preparing to move to the safe place only Buddhist community from Maungdaw south starting at noon on May 14, according to an official from Maungdaw admin office.

“The high officials ordered to the security force to arrange vehicles to transport the Buddhist community from Maungdaw south who are living near the mountainside to Maungdaw and will keep them in the monasteries and high school, but no plan for Muslim Rohingya –living near the Bay of Bengal and riverside.”
The concerned authority also arranged to transport the Buddhists – Natala villagers from Maungdaw north - to Maungdaw where the authority arranged the safe house, according to an admin officer from Maungdaw north.
The Rakhine State Parliament member Mra Aung called a meeting at district admin office to discuss how to prevent the civilians from Cyclone Mahasen but decided to save only Buddhist not the Muslim Rohingya at meeting.
The Rakhine community from Maungdaw are giving registration for getting shelter during the cyclone to the authority where they will get rations and medical assess, but concerned authority had not informed to Rohingya for shelter, said Annu, a trader from Maungdaw.
We don’t want to move to safe place during the cyclone as we are not getting any rights from authority as a human being, why we move like other people, we will die at our place, more Rohingya said when asked to move safe place.
Today, evening, Army personnel from Maungdaw south announced to Rohingya community to move safe places but no mention where they (Rohingya) will go for safety. No instruction for cyclone safety process, according to an elder from Maungdaw south. 
Isabelle Arradon, deputy Asia Pacific director of Amnesty International - a rights group-, said in a statement on May 13, "The government has been repeatedly warned to make appropriate arrangements for those displaced in Rakhine (Arakan) state."
"Now thousands of lives are at stake unless targeted action is taken immediately to assist those most at risk." 140,000 displaced people are living in makeshift shelters in Arakan, most of them-Rohingya Muslin, according to aid groups
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said that if the government failed to evacuate those at risk, "any disaster that results will not be natural but man-made".
But some people have reportedly refused to leave because they fear having nowhere else to go. "We are very worried about the cyclone... we do not have enough food to eat," a Rohingya told Agence-France Presse news agency.
"Many people are in trouble. But we have no idea what we should do."
Some of the IDPs are reportedly afraid of the security personnel in charge of the relocations in some of the sites. Vulnerable families and individuals should be prioritized. Temporary relocation and evacuation of IDPs to safer locations must not result in forced returns nor further exacerbate vulnerabilities, according to OCHA report on May 13.
“Humanitarian agencies have reminded the authorities that keeping families together during the evacuation is essential.”
A boat carrying about 100 Rohingya Muslims capsized- struck rocks off Pauktaw township in Arakan State and sank- on May 13 ,with many feared drowned at the start of a mass evacuation from low-lying regions ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, Barbara Manzi, head of the Myanmar office at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),according to Reuters.
Eight bodies have been found so far, and more than 50 other people who were aboard are feared dead, said James Munn, an official of OCHA.

Vessels with 200 Rohingya Muslims evacuating camps ahead of storm sink, leaving only one survivor, say UN officials.

Thousands of people have been moved from low-lying camps to safer shelter ahead of Cyclone Mahasen 

 

 

Boats carrying about 200 Rohingya Muslims who were evacuating ahead of a storm have capsized off western Myanmar, killing all but one person, UN officials have said.

The vessels hit trouble on Monday night after leaving Pauktaw township in Rakhine state, said a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"They were travelling to another camp ahead of the cyclone," the spokeswoman added.
Kirsten Mildren, who works for the same UN agency, told Al Jazeera there was only one confirmed survivor from Monday's accident.

The victims were trying to escape Cyclone Mahasen which is expected on Thursday and Friday. The UN has warned the storm could lead to "life-threatening conditions".

Al Jazeera's Everton Fox explains the weather impact of Tropical Cyclone Mahasen

Myanmar state television said on Monday that thousands of people displaced by communal violence last year had been evacuated from makeshift camps to safer ground in the event of the storm.
The report said authorities had moved 5,158 people from low-lying camps in the Rakhine state capital, Sittwe, to safer shelter.
But human rights groups said that the government has been too slow to act, and ignored earlier warnings to provide shelter to displaced people.
"The Burmese government didn't heed the repeated warnings by governments and humanitarian aid groups to relocate displaced Muslims ahead of Burma’s rainy season," said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch Asia director.
"If the government fails to evacuate those at risk, any disaster that results will not be natural, but man-made," he said.
'Extremely vulnerable' 
Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay, reporting from Sittwe, said: "The eye of the storm is not expected to hit Myanmar, but the people in camps - home to more than 100,000 - are extremely vulnerable to conditions we may see over the next few days."
"These include strong winds, heavy rains and a possible surge from the ocean of up to 1.5 metres. The local government has been moving people ... but people in camps aren't trusting what they are trying to get them to do. Some say they are being asked to move to more dangerous places," our correspondent said.
The state television report said displaced people were moved in 10 other townships in western Myanmar where communal violence flared last year between Muslims and Buddhists, taking hundreds of lives and leaving more than 100,000 people homeless. It did not give the number of people evacuated in those locations.
Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country but about 5 percent of its 60 million people are Muslims. They face a growing anti-Muslim campaign led by radical Buddhist monks.

Preparations
Cyclone Mahasen is expected to hit neighbouring Bangladesh on Thursday or Friday.
Images taken by NASA's Aqua satellite on Monday showed the storm's centre northeast of Sri Lanka with it packing winds of up to 50 knots (92km per hour). Those winds are expected to increase to 130km per hour as the storm moves north.
The space agency said it "sees a strengthening" of the storm and forecasts an upgrade to a Cyclone 1 level by Wednesday.
"The current forecast track ... takes the centre of Mahasen just north of Chittagong early on May 17 and into northern Burma," it said.

Officials in the Bangladeshi town of Cox's Bazar near the border with Myanmar said medical teams with as many as 30,000 Red Crescent volunteers were being formed.
In eastern India, authorities put 10 coastal districts on alert.
In 2008, Cyclone Nargis killed more than 130,000 people in Myanmar.
In 2007, Cyclone Sidr, packing winds of up to 240km per hour, left at least 3,500 people dead, levelled thousands of homes and forced the evacuation of 650,000 villagers in Bangladesh's southwest coast.

President Thein Sein instructs authorities for cyclone

Rangoon, Burma: Yesterday, State television broadcast cyclone warnings and President Thein Sein instructed regional authorities to be ready in case the storm hits the country, according to state television.

Latest map of the Mahasen (01B)
Burmese government warned on May 11, that a cyclone now forming in the Bay of Bengal could crash into the western coast of Arakan State next week.
Rohingya refugees of Sittwe (Akyab) raising fears that storm accompanied by heavy rains could swamp low-lying Rohinga camps, housing many people who fled violence last year, a man from refugee camp said who denied to be named.
The local villagers of Maungdaw Township said, “At present, they are seeing some clouds in the sky and the temperature is also very high. It is one of the signs to hit storm in northern Arakan or some parts of Arakan very soon.  The authority prepared some arrangement - two monasteries and the Maungdaw high school for cyclone shelters for people in the evening after Arakan State government directed them to do it. In Akyab, the authorities some preparations – moving some IDP camps to inside land and kept at shelters.”
 The latest information from N India Ocean, Storm Alert issued at 12 May, 2013 12:00 GMT, the Tropical Storm MAHASEN (01B) currently located near 10.2 N 87.0 E is forecast to strike land to the following likelihood(s) at the given lead time(s):
Yellow Alert Country(s) or Province(s) - India will attack  within 72 hours; Bangladesh
and Burma within 96 hours; as may be the Mahasen (01B) will pass  Barisal, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar from Bangladesh; Akyab (Sittwe) from Burma.
Around 125,000 people – mostly Rohingya Muslims---are living in overcrowded tents and makeshift shelters in Rakhine state after two outbreaks of violence last year.
Nearly 70,000 of those displaced are in low-lying areas along the coast that are highly vulnerable to storm surges and flooding and should be moved to higher ground, said Ashok Nigam, the United Nations' resident and humanitarian coordinator.
Kelland Stevenson, country director for the international charity Save the Children, said aid agencies held an emergency meeting Saturday (on May 11) to check stocks of food and shelter and draw up emergency plans.
"The information we're getting now is that the storm is pursuing away from Rakhine state, but it can change course at any minute," Stevenson said.
Chit Kyaw, the deputy director of Myanmar's Department of Meteorology, said that if the cyclone stays on its course toward Bangladesh, its whirling arms could sweep over Buthidaung and Maungdaw township of in northernmost Rakhine (Abakan) State.
Mr. Nigam also said the UN is urging the government to move the most vulnerable displaced people in Rakhine state to higher ground in case of disaster strikes.
Another village businessman from Maungdaw said, “If the cyclone hits Arakan north, it is sure that Rohingya people will not get any help from the government side as it neglected them in previous cyclone impact. It did not provide relief goods to the Rohingya people.”
The Rohingya, whose movement has been restricted by authorities, have suffered discrimination for decades.

Rohingya villagers in panic in northern Arakan State

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Rohingyas villagers in northern Arakan State are now passing days and nights in panic for giving pressure by the Burma border security force (Nasaka) to participate in computerized signatures and photographs after writing “Bengali” in place of “Rohingya” in the column of national race, said a politician from Maungdaw
LT.Col Aung Naing Oo, the director general, Nasaka has been giving acute pressure to the Rohingya people in northern Arakan since May 9, to write down or to say “Bengali” instead of “Rohingya” in the column of National race, said a local leader preferring not to be named.
“Since May 9, the Nasaka director, himself with security force went to the neighboring villages of Nasaka Headquarters of Kawar Bill (Gyikang Pyin) of Maungdaw Township and has been giving dire pressure to the villagers to write Bengali in place of Rohingya.”
The Nasaka director has been arresting people and tortures and some of them are detained in the Nasaka camp for not complying with the order of Nasaka director. After the report of so-called Arakan conflict inquiry commission, he asked the villagers to learn Burmese and to write “Bengali” in place of “Rohingya” in the Form which has been computerized along with the photographs and signatures, an ex-teacher of Maungdaw Township said preferring not to be named.
Today, the Nasaka director went to Kawar Bill village and entered the house of Master Fayaz Ahmed (65),  and destroyed all his households’ things including cooking pots and cupboards while the house owner along with family members were fleeing from the house to avoid arrest. Villagers can’t sleep in houses at night for fear of arrest by the Nasaka and fleeing to other villages. The villagers of this village are blocked by the Nasaka personnel to go to other villages and the villagers are arrested by the Nasaka while they are met by the Nasaka on the road, a local youth from the village said.
“The Nasaka also entered Rohingyas’ home where they looted valuable goods – money, jewelry and household goods-and attempted to rape while the Nasaka found females in the house alone. Most of males are fleeing from village to avoid to participate to sign in computerized program for Rohingya to Bengali and fear of arrest.”
In similar way, the villagers of Buthidaung Township are also facing difficulties by the cause of forcing the villagers to write or to say ‘Bengali’ in place of ‘Rohingya’.
Besides, last Friday, in the morning, the Commander of the Nasaka area No.8 of Maungdaw south summoned Rohingya villigers, local elders, village admin officers and religious leaders and held a meeting in the school of Gora Khali village, said a village admin officer on condition of anonymity.
In the meeting, the Nasaka Commander said that all the villagers must be participated in the surveys which are carried out by the Nasaka and immigrations. If anyone does not participate in the survey, he will be punished according to the law.
During the meeting, an elder from the village asked a question to the Nasaka officer that “We all are ready to participate in the surveys, if the authority writes “Rohingya” instead of Bengali in the Form.
In reply, the officer told that “Here is no Rohingya, all are Bengalis. If anybody doesn’t follow the order of the government, he/she will be punished according to the law. “If you live in Burma, you must obey the law and order of Burma,” according to sources.
An elder said on condition of anonymity, “We have been living in Burma since long, long ago as Rohingyas, but, now, the Burmese government forcibly makes us “Bengalis” in our motherland.” Is it not a human rights violation!
Following reports of the incident in IDP in Akyab with Immigration and Rohingyas, the UN Population Fund issued a statement on May 3 in which it said that “[h]ousehold data collection activities being undertaken in the camps and other sites in Sittwe, Rakhine State, involving the update of family lists by teams composed of several government departments, are unrelated to the National Population and Housing Census scheduled for April 2014”, according to Myanmar Times on May 11.
“These activities are also not connected to the pilot census exercise that took place successfully from March 30 to April 10 in 20 townships around the country, including Sittwe, without any kind of incidents.”
“Actual data collection for the 2014 National Population Census will take place from March 29 to April 10, 2014 in all parts of Myanmar. Every person present within the borders of Myanmar on the night of March 29, 2014 will be included in the census.”
But spokesperson U Win Myaing has insisted that recent data collection in camps for displaced Muslims is related to next year’s census and preparation for the next coming census in 2014.

Nasaka uses “Bengali” in place of “Rohingya” in surveys

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) is conducting irregular surveys in Rohingya villages of Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships coercing the Rohingya villagers to use ‘Bengali’ as their racial name in place of ‘Rohingya’ against their will, according to villagers of Maungdaw Township. 
“Some villagers were arrested or tortured for opposing their dictation while others run-away. For instance, the Nasaka Director went to Kawar bill village with security force to arrest Maulana Johar (22), son of Maulana Sayed Amin, hailed from Kawar Bill over the allegation that he had incited villagers not to participate in conducting surveys. So, he is going into hiding to avoid arrest. He is the Imam of the mosque.”
Besides, four other youths including Hussain (20), son of Idris were also arrest from the village tract by the same accusation yesterday and brought to the Nasaka camp where they were detained, a relative of Hussain said.
Similarly, the concerned authority forced Rohingya community to sign in the digital computerise system as Bengali instead Rohingya in the column of race in Nasaka area number 7 and 8. But, the Rohingya community refused to use Bengali in their race, so the most of Rohingya were runway from their home for fear of arrest, said a village admin officer.
“Most of Rohingyas are hiding in the mountainside to escape from joining the program of Nasaka and Immigration to stamp them as Bengali.”
In the same way, villagers of Buthidaung Township are also coerced to say or to use “Bengali” as their racial name in place of “Rohingya.” If the villagers do not comply with the order, they are tortured, said a schoolteacher from Buthidaung Township.
This dangerous situation is the main factor to push the Rohingya to leave their motherland, the schoolteacher added.
Since June 2012 an estimated 13,000 boat people took dangerous voyages towards Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia  and over 500 of them have drowned and missing while many ended up in jails in countries in the region.
By the historical documents, Rohingyas are the real sons of the soil and deserve to be treated as full citizens of Burma, said a historian.
But we fail to understand why Burmese authorities have all along been refusing to accept the Rohingyas, a small ethnic minority, as rightful citizens of the country. We also find it utterly disappointing as to why and how Burmese president Thein Shein could think that mass deportation of the entire Rohingya community was the only solution to the problem!, the historian more added.
The Nasaka increases conducting irregular surveys in Rohingya villages and forces Rohingya people to say “Bengali” in place of “Rohingya” and composed in computer after submitting report of Arakan conflict inquiry commission to the Presedient Thein Sein  recently, a local elder from Maungdaw said on condition of anonymity.

Drug scandal in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Police personnel from Maungdaw arrested a monk and two Rohingyas from Ahludawpay monastery for drug trafficking on May 5 and police kept more drug in their hand and show little to the court with case, according to an officer from Maungdaw.

“Police Inspector officer U Than Tin, sub Inspector U Hla Thein, Constable Tun Tun and another constable raided the monastery with information of drug trafficking (Yaba) inside the monastery where the police seized 165,000 Yaba with a monk and two Rohingyas from Buthidaung.”
But, Police Inspector U Than Tin and other police personnel kept 100,000 Yaba in their hand and filed case with 65,000 Yaba and sent to the court. The drug traffickers were stated the total numbers of Yaba and who were in the drug trafficking - mostly high officer from Maungdaw, said an officer from court.
“The court ordered to arrest the police Inspector U Than Tin, Sub Inspector U Hla Thein and the two constables. U Than Tin was arrested in Akyab and U Hla Tin was arrested in Maungdaw, but the two constables were still escape from the station.”
In Maungdaw, most of the drug traffickers were police officers, other high officials, using the local people who were need of money as a drug carrier from one place to another. Sometimes, the police arrested the carrier and show to court as a drug trafficker to hind their drug business, said a drug trafficker from Maungdaw.
“Police personnel are trafficking drug openly in Maungdaw as they are the protector of Law and using poor people to carry it. Sometime save their agents and sometimes sent them to jail as a trafficker.”

Security forces shoot and wound Rohingya in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Security forces –police, Hluntin and Nasaka- shot and wounded a Rohingya in Maungni village of Maungdaw yesterday night, according to a school teacher from Maungdaw.
“The security forces – police personnel- shot to a Rohingya who was going to his home from neighboring home while the township administration officer and district administration officer were at present in the spot.”
“The high officers from Maungdaw didn’t said any word to the police personnel who shot to Rohingya –whowas going to his home, not running or attacking them. Rohingya had no weapon or any harmful things in his hand.”
The high officers and security force round up the village at night for Gawni Meah – a Rohingya from village- but shot an innocent Rohingya who was going to his house  and admitted to hospital  with wounded, said a member of village administration office.
On the other hand, some official said the high officers and security forces were high alert in Maungdaw for fear of attack from Bangladesh – a long march organized by Islami Andolaon Bangladesh (IAB) on 9,10 and 11 May 2013 which said towards Myanmar protesting genocide against Muslim of Arakan - , but no program of long march on May 9, as the situation of Bangladesh is not giving them fever.
“The security forces are high alert in Maungdaw for long march and harassing Rohingya community in the name of long march group enter in Maungdaw.”
“The long march program only said they will march along the border not into Burma and not to enter Arakan, said a politician, from Cox’s Bazar.