Woman Claiming to Have Been Raped By Myanmar Army Says 100 More Rohingya Women Also Raped

RB News 

November 27, 2016

Maungdaw, Arakan – A woman claiming to have been raped by Myanmar Military says that 100 more Rohingya women from Sin Thay Pyin hamlet of Laung Don village tract in Northern Maungdaw  were also raped by the Military.

On November 25th, 2016 a group of 500 soldiers were said to have raided Sin Thay Pyin hamlet in Laung Don village tract. Most of the men were able to escape at this time, but 70 men were said to have been left behind and arrested. Afterwards the military was reported to have taken all of the women and children out of their homes and had them gathered in one place. Villagers said many of the women were raped at this time and 3 of the women were also taken away to a nearby forest at this time. 

While the military was present a group of Na La Ta  villagers was said to have come and looted the houses in the village. 

A 70 year old villager name Abdul Hafiz, son of Sayed Ahmed, died on Friday the 25th. Witnesses reported that he died as a result of torture. Abdul Hafiz had been arrested earlier in the month on November 14th, and said he was tortured at this time as well. He was released earlier in the month but was unable to flee when the military returned on friday. 

During the day the the women in the village had been outside since 9am, as the military had gathered them. They did not return home until 9pm.  Abdul Hafiz’s family found him dead in their home when the women were allowed to return, a villager told RB News. The men who had been arrested earlier in the day were released at 11pm. They said they were severely tortured while thy were detained. After they were released the military left the village. 

Yesterday, November 26th 2016, at 7am a group of 200 soldiers returned to the village and was reported to have tortured the women there and raped many of them as well.

Women from Sin Thay Pyin East and Middle hamlets fled their villages at this time in fear of rape, but the military was reported to have fired shots in the air to stop them. The women were then forced to gather again under the sun and were stripped naked of all of their clothing, a local woman told RB News. She said the military then stole all of their gold and cash at this time.

Another eye witness said he witnessed these events from a distance, “I saw all of it. They were firing [shots]. There were about 300 women. They all gathered in the field under the sun. The soldiers forced them to place their scarves in one place, then their blouses, then even their longyis. I saw all of it with my own eyes.”

The women were said to have been forced to stand naked for two and a half hours I the sun. The soldiers then took advantage of the group of women. 

“More than 100 women were raped. At least 40 killed. Since they  took away the dead bodies immediately after killing it is very difficult to say the exact figure. 19 killed on Friday was confirmed.” a rape victim told RB News.

Three women who were taken away returned yesterday evening. At this time the remaining women and children are believed to still be in the field without any shelter.

On Friday some dead bodies were buried by the soldiers in Cashew Garden, located in Sabai Gone Village. Yesterday the villagers claimed to have found two mass graves there. The villagers said they had to dig around to find the bodies. They believe there will be more to be found, and said that Na Ta La villagers buried other bodies on the eastern side of the village. 

Yesterday afternoon more than 50 Na La Ta villagers, including a disabled man named Soe Win, came to Sin Thay Pyin hamlet and looted what remained inside the houses there. Witnesses said they saw them loading up hand pulled trolleys with belongings and also taking buffaloes, cows and goats from the village.

Report contributed by MYARF.