Security forces still hunting villagers in Maungdaw

January 15, 2014

 

Security forces still hunting villagers in Maungdaw

 

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burmese security forces---police, Hluntin and army--- are still hunting and committing serious human rights abuses against the Rohingya villagers of Kilai Dong East village of Maungdaw south  since yesterday including--- rape and gang rape of women and girls, said Malik  ( not real name), a village elder of Kilai Dong. 

 

“They also deliberate targeting of civilians--- arbitrary killing, detention, torture, injures, looting, destruction of properties and houses of Rohingyas. Nobody is allowed to enter the village. At least 100 houses and one mosque have been destroyed and the entire paddy, rice, grains and other valuable goods had been taken away by the Rakhine villagers.”

 

Some dead or slaughtered bodies of women, girls and children have been found in the houses of the village. It is very difficult to confirm what is happening inside the village as the villagers are not allowed to enter their village.  Most of the male villagers fled from the village to avoid arrest and harassment and some of the villagers are missing from the village, according to a villager who secretly enter the village at night.  

 

Why the authorities do deliberately doing such kinds of event against the Rohingya villagers? Some people believe that the authority just want to divert people’s minds from the fact that they recently seized many arms and ammunitions of destruction at a Rakhine Buddhist monastery at Myoma Kayindan village of Maungdaw Town, said a local youth on condition of anonymity.

 

Some villagers said that the authorities concerned have been trying to find clue to destroy the village since the violence of June 2012. But, they successfully created the event of January 13, night. The authorities always try to find faults against the Rohingya people. The local authorities are encouraged by the state government and central government authorities, especially from President Thein Sein, though the president vowed that his government would do everything it can to protect the rights of minority Muslims, a businessman from inside Arakan said, who denied to be named.  

 

Today, after sun set, the Maungdaw 3- mile gate road was closed for cars and Rohingya people. And about 20 Rakhine youths holding long Dah (knife) per each going to Maungdaw south from 3-mile Gate, and also 30 motor-bikes drivers holding with long swords, was going to Maungdaw Town. Today, the Kilai Dong west village was also surrounded by army and observed the situation. Villagers, think that at night, there will be a mysterious event will be happened. There are two separate villages---one is called Kilai Dong east and another one is called Kilai Dong west, said an eyewitness of the village.  

 

Some of the villagers including women, girls, children and elderly people are taking shelter nearby villages of Shaira Para and Boddil Para where host villagers feeding them. However, the government authority announced that not to give shelter to the villagers of Kilia Dong east.

 

The Hluntin increased check-posts in strategically areas and nearby bridges to check the Rohingya passengers and villagers. When the security forces meet the villagers of Kilai Dong east village, they are arrested and other villagers are set free.   

 

One villager named Hakim informed that one mother along with two daughters were missing from the village since yesterday. Her husband is in Australia and she has 20 Ticals of gold.

 

Nobody knows how many villagers got arrested or died and the villagers are passing their days and nights with acute difficulties in winter season. A village elder urged to international community to give them protection, said a trader from the locality. ##Credid: Kaladan News