Several Women Raped and Elderly Men Beaten Severely in Zee Pin Chaung
RB News
December 13, 2016
Taung Pyo Let Wel, Arakan – Locals reported that five more Rohingya girls from Chaung Kar Lar hamlet in Zee Pin Chaung village tract situated in Taung Pyo Lt Wel sub-Township were gang raped at gun point by the military.
On December 12th, 2016 at 12 noon a group of 55 soldiers entered Chaung Kar Lar hamlet. Fearing they might be gang raped, as has frequently happened recently, 30 women and girls gathered together and tried to hide at a house in the village owned by a Rohingya man named Hafiz Akbal. They were found there by a group of 12 soldiers who entered the house. The soldiers then were reported taking eight of the women and girls into a separate room of the house by gun point and raping them there, according to a local villager. The remaining women and girls were also reportedly sexually abused by being stripped naked, groped and molested by the soldiers.
Four more girls were gang raped later in the evening in the same house, a local villager informed RB News. Among them were three single women and girls and one married woman. Two of the women were sisters. The women were 16, 17, 18 and 20 years old.
Villagers told RB News that the soldiers tried to rape the 17 year old daughter of a local man at this time in their home. The girl managed to escape but was reportedly caught soon after by soldiers who found her hiding in a paddy field. The soldiers were said to have raped her there once they had found her.
On December 12th 2016, in one day alone 13 Rohingya women and girls were gang raped by the military.
At the same time soldiers were reported looting from many of the houses in the hamlet and severely beating three elderly men, Sar Ahmed (70 years old), Zahid Hussein (71 years old) and Doliah (75 years old). Sar Ahmed is in critical condition now after soldiers beat him with their guns.
That night the soldiers stayed in the mosque in the hamlet and were witnessed desecrating the holy Quran. Witnesses say they saw the soldiers tearing pages from the Quran and throwing and kicking it as they shouted insults. They were witnessed destroying other things inside the mosque at this time as well.
Recently an investigation commission was formed by the Myanmar government, let by Vice President and former general Myint Swe. The commission is currently in Northern Maungdaw and arrived there on December 11th. Despite this the military is still being reported carrying out atrocities aginst the Rohingya in many villages during the commission’s visit. There have also been reports of continued looting and threats to Rohingya villagers causing them to flee so they will not speak to the commission. According to locals these crimes are taking plae in Kyet Yoe Pyin, Yay Khae Chaung Khwa Sone, Dar Gyi Sar and U Shey Kya.
Although the commission has met many victims (including victims of rape and gang rape) in northern Maungdaw, State media is reporting that the commissions findings have not uncovered evidence of any crimes by the Myanmar military. The commission is largely viewed as insincere and a poor attempt to silence international outcry.
