A Brutal Day Of Extrajudicial Killings, Torture, Looting and Arson by Military in Maungdaw

RB News

October 15, 2016

Maungdaw, Arakan -- On October 14, after 12:00 am, some military personnel along with some Rakhine civilians raided the market in the Ngakura village tract. They looted all the goods that they found. In the early morning, the military personnel called all the shopkeepers and asked them to shift their goods from their shops to other places wherever they wanted. As the shopkeepers came to their shops to shift their goods, they found no goods inside their shops and all the doors were broken.

At about 10 am, military personnel entered the village tract of Kyet Yoe Pyin and set fire to the whole hamlet, Lu Pann Pyin. Then they set fire to another hamlet called Ywar Ma. Some of the women from there who couldn't find a way to escape were shot dead while they were hiding inside their houses. They were left in homes and the military later set fire to them. It is estimated that nearly 500 houses are said to have been burnt down in both of these above mentioned hamlets.

At 11 am, some military personnel entered Zedi Pyin hamlet of Laung Don village tract where they broke walls and other properties of the home of Sayid Amin. They ordered the nearby villagers to pack their belongings, their homes and move someplace else. Whilst on their way back they arrested Anam Ullah, a mentally disabled nephew of Sayid Amin. They took him to the Rakhine village of Laung Don village tract where he was severely tortured and then was released as he was recognized as having mental problems at the end. As the military personnel ordered they moved to nearby villages but they think that their village will be burnt down as well in their absence.

In Laung Don village tract, the military personnel are still said to have been roaming as of at 1 am today, October 15th. 

On October 14, at 10 am, some military personnel raided Aung Sit Pyin village tract and arrested 6 Rohingyas. The arrestees are: 

1) Abul Fayaz, an NGO staff, son of Shwe Thar, a high school teacher. 

2) Molvi Nur Huda 

3) Wahidur Rahman. 

4) Karim Ullah father of 2) and 3). 

5) Two Rohingyas from Buthidaung township who hold legal travel authorization form called ''Form 4'', needed to travel from one township to another for Rohingyas.

Report contributed by MYARF.