Arakan Riot News Update : June 28, 2012

Twenty two villagers were arrested from Anukpin village of Rathedaung Township earlier and on June 27, again 60 villagers were arrested from the said village by army and Nasaka. After arrest, they were sent to Rakhine villages where they were tortured severally by Rakhine villagers. After that, they were sent to Akyab. The fate of the arrested villagers is not known to their relatives. The village has about 1000 houses, of them, 60 houses were burned down by Rakhines with the help of army and Nasaka though they have responsibility to give security of the Rohingya villagers, said a villager from Rathedaung on condition of anonymity.

Besides, 350 houses from Mozai Dia village and 150 houses of Sarat Pyin village were burned down into ashes by a group of Rakhine extremists in front of army and Nasaka. The concerned authorities declared that the army and Nasaka take security of the villages of Rathedaung Township. It is very difficult to understand that the army and Nasaka give security only Rakhine, but not to Rohingyas. They also co-operate with the racist Rakhines for arson attack to the Rohingya villages. The Burmese media also highlighted that the Rakhines are suffering from crisis of food and shelter, showing artificial Rakhine refugees who have been taking shelter in Nasaka camps and Buddhist monasteries of Maungdaw and Akyab (Sittwe).

It is learnt that many Rohingya villagers in Rathedaung Township have been suffering from food, shelter, medicine crisis since the event were broken out.

In addition on June 26, the Rohingya villagers were flooded by heavy rain fall in Rathedaung. There is no place to take shelter whose houses had already burned down by Rakhine mobs. There is no one to give them any help as it is an isolated area. Every day, the army and Nasaka along with some Rakhines arrest the Rohingya villagers, so, the villagers are passing their days and nights with terrible situation for fear of arrest and torture.

Situation Maungdaw Township:

Yesterday, at about 4:00 pm a widow – Syeda Kanon daughter of Basa Meah – was shot dead by army while she was returning from a grazing ground with her goat. When the army took away her goat forcibly from her, the widow asked the army “Why do you take away my goat?”. It caused army angry and shot dead her on the spot. She was forty-five year old of Lamba Ghona village. Earlier, the army also took away a cow from her.

Moreover, today, at about 8:30 am, two helicopters arrived at Aley Than Kyaw village of Maungdaw Township from Akyab(Sittwe) and then flied to Nasaka headquarters to see the Rakhine refugees who have been taking shelter in the Nasaka camps and Buddhist monasteries at Maungdaw. The refugees are the Natala villagers who were brought to the Nasaka camps from Maungdaw north, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships and the relocated Natala villagers of southern side of Maundaw town. Whenever, the international community and the high level officials from Naypyidaw visited Maungdaw, they only see the Rakhine refugees. They never visited to Rohingya refugees (internal refugees) who have been locking in their own villages by imposing state of emergency. They have been suffering from food crisis since the sectarian violence was occurred. The government didn’t expose to the international community regarding the internal Rohingya refugees who have been persecuted by the Burmese authorities by daily basis.

Besides, the army and Nasaka are arresting the Rohingya villagers continuously, especially from Nurrullah Para, Kilaidaung, Sarcumbo, Horsara and Sombonna villages and other villagers of Maungdaw Township. The authorities are targeting mostly to Rohingya young people even 10-12 year old boys. It is learnt that the young boys were stabbed by Natala villagers, after arrest.

The authorities also took away cattle, goats, rice, fowls and valuables from Rohingya villagers. Every night, the armies, Nasaka accompanied by Rakhines go to the said villages and make arbitrary arrest to the villagers. So, the villagers flee from the villages leaving their family members in the villages. Taking this advantage, the authorities assault the Rohingya women and young girls in the villages. This is the daily basis occurrence in the Rohingya villages. Where is the international community? asked a villager from inside Arakan.
Police arrests with various forms in Maungdaw.

Police officer inspector U aung Kyaw Than and its groups arrested Rohingya with various forms – called for repairing, meeting , listed involved in the demonstration on June 8 and meeting on the road- recently in Maungdaw, according to Maungdaw resident.
Today evening, the police personnel arrested Mohamed – a Rohingya technician- from clock tower junction for calling to repair the police vehicle, but he was sent to the Maungdaw police station with false allegation as he involved in the demonstration on June 8.
Similarly, two Rohingyas from Bomu village were arrested while they are going to their home from another friend home in the same village. The police met them on the road inside the village, but arrested with false allegation that they were doing to set fire the house yesterday.

Nasaka checks Rohingyas’ family list in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burmese border security force (Nasaka) has been going to check the family lists of Rohingya today morning, according to village administration office member from Maungdaw.

The Nasaka has been starting to check the family list of Ward number 2 and 4 where the Nasaka checked the lists with family members and if anyone fail to show on the time of checking, he/she was eased from the list. If every member is present at the time of checking, the authority issued a card masked “Checked”But, in Kyikanpyin and Nwahyondaung village, Nasaka has been checking the family lists but Nasaka has been taking signature from the family head on a blank paper after checked the list.

It is learnt that the medicine of MARTEZA (an NGO) and food items of World Food Program (WFP) were destroyed by the flood of June 26. On that day rain fall very heavily and caused inundated many villagers of Maungdaw north, said a youth from north of Maungdaw.
Situation of Buthidaung:
Two persons were released today morning who were arrested by army yesterday. The released two persons are: a son of Mr. Abu Toyub and another one is Adam Zee from Ward No. 7 of Buthidaung town. But, another two were not released among 4 persons who were arrested yesterday, said a trader from the locality.

Many villagers of Buthidaung south and north were flooded by heavy rain on June 26. The villagers have been suffering from many difficulties and there is no any help from government side.

Besides, the market of Buthidaung town was inundated under the water since Tuesday. The concerned authorities didn’t allow the shopkeepers to move their goods from the shops to other safe places giving the reasons that there should be untoward situation while moving the goods. As result, most of the goods should be rotten for keeping them for three days under the water. However, today at about 2:00 pm the concerned authorities of the market allowed shopkeepers to enter the market to see their goods.

Before, the sectarian violence, the concerned authorities did not allow to buy any one more than two kgs of rice from the market.

It is learnt that over 10,000 people including Rakhines and Rohingyas have been taking shelter in the Buthidaung High School because of flood.

Source :  KPN