by MS Anwmsar

August 9, 2013

Akyab (Sittway), Arakan– In the lastest shoot out at displaced Rohingyas in Oon Daw Gyi (Baariza Fara) camps, Sittway, today (on 9thAugust 2013), by Myanmar’s Security Force (Hlun Tin), six Rohingyas died and several critically injured.

A displaced Rohingya reported the tragedy as follows.

“The displaced Rohingyas in Sittway are prevented from celebrating Eid festival and performing the prayer according the curfew order under section 144. Therefore, at 8:30AM, two Rohingya boys from Oon Daw Gyi (Baariza Fara) camps went for fishing to a nearby river. Meanwhile, some Hlun Tin appeared and shoot out at the boys. One boy instantly died, another survived.

According to the surviving victim, the reason why they were shot at is not known. But he said they were made poiting targets by Hlun Tin in their excercise (trainings). (Like Nazi Germans did to Jews!)

After the dead of the victim, other Rohingyas went to Hlun Tin to demand the dead body. Hlun Tin were not giving it. There was a quarrel. Subsequently, Hlun Tin started indiscriminate firing at the crowd. Five more died on the spot and several critically injured. Hlun Tin (s) are beating and torturing the displaced people till now.”

“Rakhine state government is directly responsible for the often killings of Rohingya people. As long as this Nazi-inspired genocidal government is in power, we don’t feel there will be even any initiative for the peace process. They are making Rohingyas targets for their day-to-day purposes. They don’t think we are human beings” he exclaimed.

Updates: Another Version of the Report

Last night, one Rohingya was killed by the security force. And in the shoot out today, two more Rohingyas died and many injured. It has been reported by a local of Sittway as follows.

“There were two Rohingya girls working for the security force to earn money for their survival. They were raped by the security force at their camp yesterday. One Rohingya passing by the camp witnessed the incident. He came back and informed his fellow people in the displaced camps.

Therefore, the elders were planning to at least call the girls back because they were unable to take any action against the security force even though they had committed crimes. The Security Force, somehow, came to know about the eye-witness of the rape incident and his report to his fellow people. Therefore, the Security Force called him on to the camp saying they had to investigate.

Since he went to the camp yesterday, he has been disappearing. The worried people in the IDP camps went to the camp of the security force to ask the man’s whereabouts. The security replied that no Rohingya had been to their camp. The people were unable to believe security force’s say and started to search for the man on their own. The people spotted the drops of blood and then, the dead of the man in the camp.
People demanded security force to hand over the dead body to them. Security Force refused. And it led to a quarrel. The security force started firing at the people: two instantly died and many injured.”

“Besides, the security force torched their camp with a view to destroying the three dead bodies and portraying a fabricated and false image of the incident. They burnt the camp so that they can say they had to shoot at Rohingyas because Rohingyas had toreched their camp. A perfect attempt for double victimizaion of Rohingyas. Everyone has come to know about their attempt in time.

In the burning, two Rohingya dead bodies got destoryed and one was recovered half-burnt.”

The Security Force (Hlun Tin) have been replaced with Military in the region. The security is tightened. Communication tools are being confiscated, while some other Rohingyas have turned off theirs. No Rohingya is, at the moment, allowed to move out of the region. Hence, reports are varying!

Therefore, we are, at the moment, unable to get further details.

More updates: 

Again this evening, the situation got tensed between the security force and the displaced Rohingyas in Bawdupha camps as the security force attempted to arrest six Rohingya men and two Rohingya women. The security forced fired at the Rohingya people and hence, 10 more got injured.