Maungdaw, Arakan State: Rohingya people in northern Arakan have been passing days and nights in panic because of SPDC authorities have been seizing lethal weapons from Rohingya villages while the Rakhine and Natala villagers have been equipped with lethal weapons and even with guns since 15 days ago, said a local politician requesting not to be named. The concerned authorities have been seizing lethal weapons such as— knives (Dah), choppers, swords, daggers, hoes, adzes, spades from Rohingya villages, meanwhile, the authorities have equipped— swords, catapults, hmya sue (Chin kali) and even guns— to the Natala (model) villagers and Rakhines. Besides, Rohingya villagers are not allowed to go to another village to do works, so the local poor people have been facing many difficulties to support their family members, he more added.
Moreover, military commandos are being deployed in northern Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships. On April 8, at about 6:00 pm, about 40 trucks and buses loading with military were going to Maungdaw north from Maungdaw town. After unloading the military to the targeted places, the trucks and buses returned to their destination quickly, according to a school teacher from the locality.
After the failure of a flag meeting between Bangladesh and Burma on April 8, regarding the border fencing, the tension is prevailed at the border areas. As a result, Burmese military commandos with red flag tying their necks were deployed at the northern side of Maungdaw, the teacher more said.
At present, about 120 to 200 soldiers are placed nearby every Rohingya villages. They are living at Natala villages or Rakhine villages at night, said another local villager.
On April 7, at night, the Rakhine villagers tried to attempt to attack the Sonbonia and Nan Tha Daung villages of Maungdaw Township. But, this information had already been known to the Rohingya villagers so that the villagers were on red alert for resistance if they were attacked at night. As a result, the Rakhine villagers nearby Rohingya villages were not able to attack the Rohingya villages. The Rakhine villages were strengthened by Rakhine youths inviting from other Rakhine villages. The youths were carried by boats at night from other villages and unloading them to their destinations, said a village elder of Nan Tha Daung village on condition of anonymity.
After the attempt was failure, two hours later, the army of engineering battalion who are duty for fencing at Burma-Bangladesh border entering the Nan Tha Daung village seizing all the said lethal weapons from the said villagers. There were clashes between villagers and army and some of the villagers were wounded, said a trader from the village on condition of anonymity.
Besides, on April 8, a boat with loading lethal weapons such as— swords, knife and other weapons was berthed at Rakhine Khayan Khali village of Maungdaw Township and unloaded all the weapons at the village. At night, some boats came to Maungdaw town and other areas from Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State and went to their destinations and returned back after, said a local trader from the village.
In addition, Rohingya people were ordered by the authorities not to perform next Juma Prayer or (Friday prayer) in mosques. Regarding this, Rohingya people are yet to be taken decision whether they will go to mosques or not defying the order, said sources.
On April 7, Lt. General Khin Zaw visited Taungbro left (Daibonia), a sub-town of Maungdaw Township, accompanied by Western Command Commander, Director of Nasaka, the commander of MOC-15 of Buthidaung Township, Tactical Operation Commander of (TOC) of Buthidaung Township. They arrived at Taungbro left with 15 cars, at about 9:30 am and returned 11:30 am. After General visit, the events were happened, said a businessman from Maungdaw town.
In Phone Nyo Hlake Natala and Rakhine villagers of Buthidaung Township were equipped with said lethal weapons by authority saying that “This is your region, and you have to defense it from outsider,” said local schoolteacher.
On March 22, at night, 8 houses were put on fire by police throwing bottle with petrol after putting on fire at the Rait Chaung village under the Sann Yin Way Village tract of Buthidaung Township and the Nasaka (Border security force) have seized aforesaid lethal weapons from this village and also police stopped the villagers who went to the village to put off the fire. The police also extorted 5.3 million kyat from the fire victims, said a village elder from the village.
In these such situations, the Rohingya people of northern Arakan State have been passing their days and nights in panic. Since the beginning of this month, some of the local Rakhine leaders of Sittwe, Mrauk U, Pauktaw, Rathedaung, Myin Bya, and Maybon etc have been discussed about the Rohingya matter how will they drive or finish the Rohingya community from northern Arakan, said a local politician from Buthidaung town.
These problems are created by State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) authorities as like as 1942 riots between Rohingya and Rakhine communities to divert the attention of the world community or for their secret agenda after arising “Rohingya boat-people crisis” in Southeast Asia. Whenever, the SPDC authorities falls into a political problem, to divert the public opinion by creating riots between Buddhist and Muslim community, this is the characteristic of SPDC, said a businessman from Buthidaung Township.
By the discrimination of Burma’s authorities, Rohingya community is not able to bear such persecution, hence, the Rohingya people have been taken preparation to cross Burma-Bangladesh border. Therefore, Rohingya exodus to be occurred soon, said a Rohingya observer from Bangladesh.
Source: Kaladan Press