The most inhumane killing on Rohingyas ever the villagers recalled

Ro Mayyu Ali

RB News

September 8, 2017

Rathedaung is the most terrible place for approximately 30 percent of Rohingya people of its population among the three Northern Rakhine State's townships in western Myanmar. Since the 2012-June's sectarian violence in Rakhine State, Rohingyas in Rathedaung have been severely restricted in connection of commercial, social and agricultural ties to local Rakhine resident partners. The Rohingya villagers have been thus under often attacks carried by Myanmar Armed Forces coordinating with local Rakhine extremists. One of Rohingya's historical mosques in Rathedaung's Zedi Pyin has been under attack to burn down for many times by local Rakhine extremists. 

Since the last July, Rohingya villagers in Auk Nan Yar are being caged in by BGP Forces coordinating with local Rakhines. The villagers cannot access even to nearby neighbour Rohingya village for surviving resources and thus have been suffering severe humanitarian crisis. In the middle of August, five IDP Rohingya men in Rathidaung were shot to dead by BGP Forces. 

On 25 of August, the clashes between ARSA and Myanmar Armed Forces have been intensified. However, in Chut Pyin, the Rohingya village in Rathedaung, there was no attack to BGP check post. It is Rathedaung's Rohingya villagers who feel extremely panic if there any tension increases on Rohingyas in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships. As of geographical constraint, the Rohingyas in Rathedaung are totally trapped surrounded by Mayu River, Mayu mountain, Rakhine villages and the stations of Myanmar Armed Forces. It is somehow out of imagination for Rohingyas in there to escape to Maungdaw and Buthidaung if the violence erupts against them. 

On 27 of August, 2017, around 11 am in the morning, the military forces entered to Chut Pyin village. The forces caught a cow from Rohingya and took away without letting know the owner. Soon, the military forces with BGP entered to Rakhine hamlet in Chut Pyin and organized all young Rakhine men. And they started to move away Rakhine people first. All Rohingya villagers were wondered seeing the creation. 

It was around 1:45 pm, some Rohingya were at mosque for their mid-day prayers. Suddenly, the military and BGP forces coordinating with those organized local Rakhines started to destruct Rohingyas. The forces were firing the launchers to Rohingya houses and the Rakhine extremists with long swords were killing Rohingya villagers. It was the moment that the cloud above the sky of Kyauit Pyin were rushed by the helpless screaming of Rohingya children and women under the holocaust of Myanmar Armed Forces in broad day-light. 

"Two of my friends and I were hiding in a pond nearby my home. We saw everything what the Forces and Rakhines were doing. The forces were firing indiscriminately to our villagers" said the 25-years-old Hassan, an eyewitnessing Rohingya villager. "Soon, my sister was shot to her waist by an army. She was fallen down on the ground. And I was watching how my old father and young brother were slaughtered by Rakhines" he affirmed. Ali Ahmed, 55 years was his father and Sayed Hussein was his young. The 17-years-old Sayed was a student attending his grade-9 in Nyaung Chaung High School. And the 19-years-old Rajuma was his young sister. It had been just a week that Rajuma got married with a Rohingya man from neighbour. The three from a family were killed brutally. 

Ahmed thinks himself that he is worthless person as he was not able to take back the dead bodies of his father and brother from the burnt ground. Yet, many dead remained flat on the ground without funerals. Going to take back a dead body from there is a deadly cause for survived Rohingyas. 

"With my own hands, I washed 37 bodies of children and old men for funeral. While I watered, my tears were included in" said Kyaw Hlaing taking a very deep breath. "Many severely injured people were screaming a lots. How misfortune we are. We could bring no one. All are lying down still on ground" he added. Sayed Alom, a renowned mullah in the village was also killed by Rakhines entering into his home. According to villagers, the body was believed has thrown to arson. It was Sayed who has studied his degree in a Pakistan University. 

"Two of my sons were killed in front of me. One was a mullah and another was a matriculated" said the 70-years-old Moulana Abul Hashim, the most respected Arabic University teacher in the village. "We lost everything in our life. It is the cruelest inhumanity on Rohingyas" he quotes as saying. 

Chut Pyin in Rathedaung is a village tract consisting five small hamlets, over 1300 Rohingya people and 220 Rohingya households. It is surrounded by Zedi Pyin in east, Ahtet Nan Yar in south, Mayu mountain in west and Sein Taung mountain side in north. 

Following the casualties in the village, estimation of 800 Rohingya villagers are reportedly survived now including 95 injured people. The rest 500 among 1300 are believed have been killed and slaughtered or missing by Myanmar Armed Forces and local Rakhine extremists. Almost 220 houses including mosques and madrasahs of Rohingya have been burnt down to ash. A couple of days later, all Rakhine villagers whom were moved away before the incident were taken back to their houses in the village. Today, Chut Pyin in Rathedaung is no more a Rohingya village. It stands as a village without Rohingya.