Dozens of Rohingya Women and Children Burned Alive in Nothern Maungdaw

RB News 

November 16, 2016 

Maungdaw, Arakan – The Myanmar Military has been reportedly locking civilians inside their houses and then burning them alive in Yay Khae Chaung Khwa Sone South hamlet in Northern Maungdaw. 

On November 14th, 2016 at 8:30 AM a group of about 150 members of the military and Border Guard Police (BGP) entered Yay Dwin Kyun village. They arrested over 150 villagers. Those arrested were from Yay Khae Chaung Khwa Sone, Yay Khae Chaung Khaw Sone, Dar Gyi Sar, Kyar Gaung Taung and Myaw Taung.

The Military and BGP selected 20 wealthy Rohingyas among those who were arrested and took them to the Nga Ku Ra regional BGP post. The remaining Rohingya were taken to Ywat Nyo Taung BGP outpost (12) and interrogated. The villagers from Yay Dwin Kyun were later released. 

The remaining Rohingya who were detained were taken a Rakhine village called Kan Pyin at sunset and were forced to hold sticks, swords and guns and forced to shout the Islamic slogan “Naara e Takbeer” which similar to yelling “Allahu Akbar” or God is Great. These chants have been associated with Islamic militants around the world by media. The security forces recorded the staged event and then took the villagers back to Ywat Nyo Taung. 

On November 15th, 2016 at 2PM the Military was returning some 30 children and women to their homes and brought them to Yay Khae Chaung Khwa Sone south hamlet and then locked them inside of the houses. The soldiers then surrounded the houses and set them on fire. The women and children treid but were unable to escape and the soldiers were reported to have shot at them when they tried. They were all killed in the incident after burning to death, local villagers told RB News. 

The soldiers were reported to have burnt down at least 120 houses and the fires were continuing as the night began. According to locals there no homes are left in Yay Khae Chaung Khwa Sone south hamlet. 

Since November 12th attacks have increased severely against six villages in Northern Maungdaw, and the Military and BGP have burnt down hundreds of houses, used rocket launchers to kill innocent civilians, fired on civilians using a gunship helicopter and burned human beings to death. The attacks have been so continuous it is difficult to keep pace and compile a list of casualties at this time.

Report contributed by MYARF.