Four people killed in Myanmar religious clashes

Comment by BRAT:

 

First we would like to clarify that the lands of those 14 Rakhines villages located in Maungdaw are belong to native Rohingya people and they were built under the military government's model village settlement program from later of 1991. Plus, these Rakhine people had looted goods, animals and farming lands from native Rohingya villagers.

 

In deed, in the beginning the roit was staged by a group of Rakhine people by attacking the prayers in the present of police deployment at the main mosque. 

During the first day, causalities and impacts from both sides were parallel. At least four persons were died from each side.

But soon after authority restored curfew, some anger Rakhine people were intentionally involved in attacking against Rohingyans and set fire at Rohingya houses including a few Rakhine houses, in regard to prove that these houses were burnt down by Rohingyans.

 

According to tele conversation with Maungdaw today 9 June, early morning, Military forces arrived with trucks and entered into Hunri-fara and shot at the Rohyingyan villagers without warning. At least 5 persons were shot death and the dead bodies were loaded to truck.

Again in the afternoon, military forces followed by by Rakhine people arrived and surrounded the Narittarbil(ward-5) and the follower Rakhines brunt down the Mousque.

 

BROUK confirmed that during mid-night, the Hlun Htein forces of Ngakura village accompanied by Rakhine villagers of San Oo Rwa(Hatipra) attacked the same villager Rohingyans and killing one Rohingya and injuring 3 others. The dead body was carried away by the killers.
 
Last night, groups of armed forces with Buddhist Rakhine extremists went to the Rohingya villages. They opened fire to the Muslim houses. When the inmates left their homes the Rakhine extremists set on fire. Many houses in several villagers have been reported burnt into ashes. Many people were killed and several others injured. The villages of Hatalia, Sommonia, Razarbil, Kayandan and San Oo are among those which were attacked.
 
Since yesterday, the Buddhist monks and Rakhine extremists escorted by security forces were announcing 'War on Kalas, (war on Rohingyas) along the street of Maungdaw. This message was spread like a wild fire all over Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships.
 
Many security forces dressed in civil clothes but with arms are firing the Rohingyas.   
 
An estimated 100 Rohingyas were killed. As dead bodies were not handed over to the relatives or villagers. Exact number of death could not be confirmed. Some estimate that the number of death could exceed 200 Rohingyas. 

Hundreds of injured Rohingyas are lack of treatment. Thousands of people were deprived of food and water as Police, military, and Hlon Htin block them.
 
At about 12: 25 P.M. Deputy Home Minister accompanied by U Aung Zaw Win (USDP- MP) arrived at Maungdaw. They are reportedly discussing with local leaders on the situation. The details of the discussion are still not known. But Rakhine people were separated to 4-mile area.

 

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The below report is based on one side and not cover the accurate story. However, BRAT posted it here as a part of unrest situation in Maungdaw.

 

Four people killed in Myanmar religious clashes

Source from India.nydailynews, 8 June 2012

Four people died in religious clashes after angry Muslims set fire to Buddhist villages in Rakhine state. A curfew was implemented in the affected areas.

Four people were killed on Friday in religious clashes in western Myanmar, where police opened fire and the authorities declared a curfew to tackle the escalating unrest, officials said.

The latest victims are believed to have been killed by angry Muslims who torched Buddhist villages in Rakhine state along the Bay of Bengal.

"They were attacked with knives. A 65-year-old man was killed on the spot. The other three died in hospital as they were seriously injured. Those who were killed are Buddhists," a government official who did not want to be named said.

State television announced late Friday a night-time curfew in the unrest-hit areas, home to large numbers of Rohingya, a Muslim group described by the United Nations as one of the world's most persecuted minorities.

Tensions have flared in Rakhine since 10 Muslims on a bus were killed by an angry Buddhist mob on Sunday who believed mistakenly that the perpetrators of the recent rape and murder of a Rakhine woman were onboard.

 

Earlier Friday a different official said police in Rakhine had opened fire in an attempt to quell religious tensions in a town dominated by the stateless Rohingya.

"Police opened fire in Maungdaw in Rakhine state. There are no casualties," the official said.

Religious clashes occur periodically in Myanmar, and Rakhine state -- which has a large Muslim minority population -- is a flashpoint for tensions.

Buddhists make up some 89 percent of the population of Myanmar, with Muslims officially representing four percent.

The violence threatens to overshadow reconciliation efforts since a series of dramatic political reforms following the end of almost half a century of military rule last year.

One of the officials said police were deployed in Maungdaw on Friday after about 300 people returning from mosques threw stones at a government office, police station and local businesses.

Police were also deployed in more than a dozen Buddhist Rakhine villages as houses were set on fire.

The authorities this week warned against "anarchic acts" after the mob killings and an attack on a police station by an angry crowd in Sittwe.

In Myanmar's main city Yangon, dozens of Muslims protested on Tuesday calling for justice over the recent killings.

In neighbouring Bangladesh, which also has a large Rohingya population, officials said the Border Guard on Wednesday arrested one Rohingya man on charges of carrying illegal arms as he tried to cross into Myanmar.

Local police chief Supon Mojumder told AFP that Sirajul Islam, aged around 30, was found in possession of a locally made gun and seven rounds of bullets.

"The dismantled gun was found in a bag in his possession," he said, adding that Islam lived in an unregistered refugee camp.

In a rare public response to civil unrest, the Myanmar government said Thursday it had established a committee to investigate the sectarian strife and expected to hear its findings by the end of June.

With fears of further violence growing, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday urged the nation's Buddhist population to show "sympathy" with minorities following the Rakhine killings.