Rohingyas In Maungdaw Under Threats By Rakhine Extremists

RB News 

April 15, 2014 

Maungdaw, Arakan – Several groups of Rakhine extremists have been trying to attack or harass the Rohingya villages in Maungdaw Township of Arakan state since end of last month. 

On April 15th, in the afternoon at 3:30 pm a Rakhine extremist entered into Zi Pin Chaung village tract behaving provocatively, as if he were mad. He was caught by the Rohingya villagers and handed over to the village administrator. He then identified himself as being from Kyain Chaung village and stated his name was Moo Too S/o Maung Maung Lwin. The village administrator sent him to village police outpost and later sent to Kyain Chaung police station. The villagers told RB News that he wouldn’t be interrogated when he arrives to Kyain Chaung police station because the police are aware of the movement of the extremists in the area and they intentionally ignore them. 

On April 12th at midnight about 30 Rakhine extremists holding guns, swords and gallons of petrol (gasoline) tried to terrorize Tan Binga hamlet of Kha Mhaung Seik village, but sentry guards stopped them before they entered the village and they had to leave unsuccessfully. Similarly, they tried again on April 14th at 1:30 am. The Rohingya sentry were able to protect their village from the attack of the Rakhine extremists, and managed to ward off attacks by shouting that they saw the Mob coming. The villagers said those Rakhine extremists are based in a mountain area located at the eastern side of their village. The Rohingya villagers are worried that their village could be torched at any time by the group. 

On the afternoon of April 11th the military caught three Rakhine extremists from Kaye Myaing Natala village in Maungdaw which is nearby Duchiradan village, where the mass killing took place in last January.According to locals who gathered information from various sources the three Rakhine extremists are from Sittwe and were reportedly involved in attacking International NGOs and NGOs in Sittwe and were staying in Maungdaw as part of a plan to launch attacks in Maungdaw against Rohingyas.

Additional reporting by MYARF.