The Natonal United Party of Arakan (N.U.P.A) has received with shock, the news of recent riot in Arakan capital Sittwe (Akyab), on 6th February 2001, resulting in plundering of several villages, leaving many killed and injured by a group of people secrectly sent by the military regime of SPDC to stage a communal violence between the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingyas.
Although, either side has been putting the blame on the other, we understand with grief that the Rohingya Muslims have heavy lost of lives, property and missing of many. It is really unfortunate that the ruling junta , could have, to some extents, gone ahead in triggering social hatred which spreaded to other Townships of Rakhine State (Arakan). The colonized Arakan, has been under the grip of the Military rule for decades and all the ethnic races have been equally persecuted. We, having realized that all the ethnic races irrespective of cast and creed , have been the victim of "divide and rule", taken every efforts to bury the differences and forge a much stronger unity among us which have paved the way to formation of Arakan Independence Alliance (A.I.A), where the role of Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (A.R.N.O) is an integral part. At this critical juncture, we urge upon the people of Arakan, particularly, the Rohingyas to ignore the misgivings of the Junta and to maintain maximum tolerance to avoid further out break of violence between the two races. To free Arakan, from the clutches of the Burman, we need to understand clearly identify the common enemy of Arakanese peoples.
Tay Zaw,
On behalf of Central Executive Committee,
National United Party of Arakan (NUPA),
Sittwe, Rakhine State (Arakan).
National United Party of Arakan (NUPA),
Sittwe, Rakhine State (Arakan).
Press & Publication Department, ARNO 15 February 2001