The Hidden Genocide: How it Started?
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| Rohingya refugees camp in Sittwe (Photo - AID Doctor) |
M.S. Anwar
RB News
December 19, 2012
Although Rakhines (Maghs) carry malicious sentiments against Rohingyas dating back to the time Indian Prince Shah Shujah as it is mentioned (here[1]), it can be said that the anti-Rohingya propaganda that led to current genocide has become obvious after a report of BBC reporter Anna Jones in 2010. She mentioned in her reports that Rohingyas are one of those minorities in Burma that has the possibility of extinction. Although she never mentioned Rohingyas as ethnic people or citizens of Burma, her report was made a mountain out of molehill by racists and self-interested groups in Burma. Yet, anti-Rohingya movement was not in full swing until November 2011. Exactly after one year of the report, anti-Rohingya movement started home and abroad. Different campaigns had been held demanding BBC to issue an apology for mentioning Rohingya as a minority in Burma. BBC said they had nothing to apologize since they were on the right path.
However, led by Rakhine (Magh) extremist leaders and backed by the Burmese regime, the domestic media in Burma started to portray Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and a threat to both sovereignty of the nation and the state religion, Buddhism. Due to systematic isolation of Rohingyas for decades, Rohingyas or the term “Rohingya” was unknown the rest of the Burmese until 2010. When they did come to know Rohingyas, it was in the negative light.
The Malevolent Conspiracy: On 28th May 2012, a certain Rakhine lady called Ma Thida Tway was looted and murdered at an outskirt of a village called KyaukNimaw, Arakan, by unknown people. The murder could be either accidental or conspired but Burmese regime and Rakhine extremists saw it as the perfect opportunity to instigate the violence against Rohingyas and Kamans in Arakan. As it had been planned, the Burmese regime and Rakhine extremists blamed three Rohingyas for raping, looting and killing her. But according to the medical reports, the lady was not raped but looted and murdered. The medical report was kept in dark as it was seen inappropriate to their plans of instigating the violence. Of the three alleged rape criminals, a person called Htet Htet was not a Rohingya but a Rakhine whose father had converted into Islam.
Mr. Thein Tin, a Rohingya from KyaukNimaw, who had left the village just a few days before the alleged rape occurred, said “Htet Htet is a Rakhine National and Muslim. He was a newly married man at the time of the case happened. He, together with his other two friends, went to a nearby Rakhine village to buy coconuts for the traditional party to be-held for his wife’s post-marriage first visit to her parents’ home. They returned to their village with coconuts. They didn’t have a clue about the fact that they were being scapegoated by Rakhine extremists. On the same day, Ma Thida Tway was murdered and thrown at a place not so far from the road from KyaukNimaw to Tabbre Chaung (the village of the murdered woman). A Rakhine elder passing by the road saw a dead body. He informed the Rakhines in the nearby villages.
So, some Rakhine leaders came to KyaukNimaw and asked Rohingya villagers who, that day, went out of their village. Rohingyas replied that the above-mentioned three guys went out of the village not knowing the plot of Rakhine leaders. So after, without saying anything, Rakhine leaders went straight to the police station and filed a rape-loot-murder case against the three young men. The three men did not even see the murdered woman that day let alone raping and killing her. If I had been the person (instead of them) to go out of the village that day, I would have been accused of raping and killing her. Rakhine leaders were just watching which Rohingya was the first to come out of the village to accuse them for raping and killing her.” So, according to many analysts as well, the rape case is nothing but a sheer conspiracy.
Beginning of the Hidden Genocide: Soon after that, the doctored images of hers went viral on internet and in some domestic media. The anti-Muslim handouts were spread out Taung Gote Tsp by Rakhine Extremists Youth Wing. On the other hand, the director of the president’s office, Bohmuu Zaw Htay, through his Facebook account started to incite anti-Rohingya/anti-Muslim violence alleging Rohingyas as illegal invaders and problem creators. As the world knows, on 3rd June 2012, 10 Muslim pilgrimages, who were neither Rohingyas nor had any connections with the said rape case, were brutally murdered on their way from religious efforts in Sandoway of Arakan state by 300 Rakhine terrorists or (some say) government-hired thugs nearby an immigration office. Quite disgustingly, Burmese state media spread the news using derogatory words against Muslims such as Kular (Note: Kular is a derogatory term for the people of Indian descends in Myanmar and most of the Muslims in Myanmar happen to be of Indian origin) and took it as a tool to trigger anti-Rohingya or anti-Muslim hatred among general public of Burma.
On 8th June 2012 (i.e. on Friday), Rohingyas in Maung Daw planned to pray for murdered Muslims at the religious centre at Myoma Kayintan and demonstrate after the prayer. Not only the way of Rohingya congregators to the religious centre was blocked but also they were brutally quelled by NaSaKa (Border Security Forces) and Hluntin (Security Forces) at the downtown of Maung Daw. As the dispersed Rohingyas were running hither and thither, the stones from Rakhine houses and guest houses started to rain on them. And some Rakhines were shooting the video of those running Rohingyas with the video cameras they had set up in advance in order to portray them as the rioters.
Jamil, a resident of Maung Daw said “Hla Kyaw, a Rakhine extremist and the owner of the photographing business called “Shay Thou” in Maung Daw, shut down his shop nearby the Main Mosque in the town prior to the Friday prayer and started to set up cameras at a road junction and at the top of the “United Guest House.” (Note: the above mentioned Hla Kyaw is under detention now for the illegal possessions of the three grenades.) How did he know in advance that such violence would occur unless it was plotted? Rakhine extremists surely knew that many Rohingyas would come for prayer and react on being offended. Rakhines extremists might have directed the state government (made up of Rakhines only) how to make a mountain out of the little reactions that would be coming from Rohingyas. (Perhaps Rohingyas’ biggest mistake was that they (who are considered illegal invaders by the government) thought they could demonstrate in a country where even Monks are not allowed to protest if it is against the state policy)
As I were saying, as pre-planned, the NaSaKa and Security Forces started shooting at them. At first, one Rohingya was killed and several were injured. Soon after, the burning of the houses in Maung Daw began. It was reported that government used Hindus who have similar physical appearances with Muslim Rohingyas to burn the few Rakhine houses to make Rakhines torch Rohingyas’ houses in return. (Today, almost burnt houses are of Rohingyas). There were clashes between Rakhines and Rohingyas for beginning few hours of the day. From the early evening onward until today, it has been one-sided attacks against Rohingyas and Kamans led by Rakhine terrorists, Security Forces, Military, NaSaKas and Police that amount to the Genocide against them.
M.S. Anwar is an activist and student studying Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies at Westminster International College, Malaysia
