Interviews of Rakhine/Arakanese victims of the Bengali Muslims
VIOLENCE • How did your husband die? Bengalis came to burn down our village. So, we had to run away to Gudaung village. But, my husband stayed at our village to put out the fire. How did you know your husband was killed? People from Gudaung Village went to our village to put out the fire, and they saw him dead along with other dead bodies and houses on fire. When I heard that he was dead, I feel desperately weak as I am pregnant. I can’t even imagine my future, as our family is depending on my husband for our daily survival. What is your attitude towards the Bengalis? We want them to move away from us. We dare not live close to them anymore. San Nu Khin - widow, near Gudaung Village, Ratchadaung Township ________________________________________________________________________ • Why did you take refuge in this camp, at this age? I fled my village to escape from possible Bengali slaughter. What kind of threats did Muslims issue to your village to make you leave the village? They burned a nearby village and killed fellow Arakanese villagers there, which made us more than sufficiently believe that we would face the same fate if we stayed. How many houses were burned in that village? About 100 houses. San Tun Phyu - 77 year-old grandfather, Nay-Bi-Sate village, Ratchadaung Township ________________________________________________________________________ • The Bengalis came and set on fire our village on June 10. When I saw fire, I went there and saw the Arakanese and Bengalis were fighting each other. They were throwing pallets, stones and sharp tools to each others. Then I had to join the fight to defend our homes, families, our ethnic nationality, and our (Buddhist) religion. I was hurt by a lead-pallet which hit my right eyebrow. How was the strength of each side in the fight? They had more than 300 people and there was only 80 on our side. Meanwhile, the authorities arrived on the scene and took control. The fighting stopped after the authorities arrived. Who lived in those burnt houses? They were houses belonging to Bengalis. They set their own houses on fire and ran into the coconut forest by the sea. They did it with the intention of showing the authorities and the international community that the Bengalis are the victims of attacks by local Arakanese. Can you tell us your village situation after the attack? After the attack, we found out they were still planning to attack us again, by surprise. To defend ourselves against them, we have to set up our own patrols to watch out for danger. Mun Htwan - manual laborer, Mungan quarter, Sittwe 1
Interviews - Violence • Can you tell us as much as you know about the Bengali-Arakanese violence that happened in the Mungan quarter of Sitttwe on June 8th? On Friday June 8th, after the Bengalis had finished their prayers at the mosque, we saw a mob of 200 or 300 people was gathering by the railway. We heard the noise and went towards it, to look and see what happened. The Arakanese people from the nearby row of houses could see the Bengalis directly, and they watched and cried fearfully. The Bengalis had brought weapons - knives, sticks and catapults (slingshots) - and they were being hostile towards us. We were shocked by the weapons they readily brought with them with the intention to harm us. We called to the neighboring villages for help. Then young Arakanese and elders from our quarter came to that place, because they, also, had never heard such loud and ominous noise. Many young and old people, including me, gathered knives, sticks, and catapults to defend ourselves. When we got to the street, the Bengalis started throwing stones at us. Then, elders, officials, and ministers arrived and convinced us all to step back, live in peace and not create problems between our communities. The officials left after soothing and calming the situation, BUT, in just 10 minutes, the Bengalis had gathered again and they attacked us. Previously there were about 300 people in their side but it had swelled with many more people. We had gathered around 80 people. When the communal riot occurred again, the officials and minister arrived back here again. The officials and minister seemed to convince the Mawlawis (An Islamic title given to a high Islamic scholar) from the group to exist in peace with Arakanese and the situation seemed calm. But after 10 p.m., the Bengalis insulted the Arakanese by shouting with foul words from the other side of railroad. We observed the Bengalis are gathering their forces. We couldn't stay idle and we gathered around 100 people to defend ourselves against these Bengalis. While we were defending ourselves the police from Mungan police station arrived. The police fired into the air to control the crowd, but the Muslims didn't retreat. The Bengalis even rudely showed their buttocks to the police. The police thought they could control the situation and came with only 4-5 officers. When they couldn't control the mobs with such a small force, they called the riot police. Then the Bengalis retreated. Meanwhile, the Bengalis set some of their own houses on fire. What kind of challenges do you face due to this riots? There are many difficulties. I feel distressed at the moment. Even now, we have to form groups to patrol for for our security. In order to live peacefully, the state authorities must firmly defend us from the hostilities of the Bengalis. Wong Thein - goldsmith, Mungan Quarter, Sittwe _______________________________________________________________________ • On that night, (June 14, 2012) about 3,000 Bengalis came to attack our village. The next morning, there was a deadly fight against our villagers with the swords and machete. Are there any Byraiphru villagers who got chopped dead by the Bengalis? Yes, there are five people who got killed by them. How many people from your village arrived here (refugee facility)? There are 156 people. Htwan Oo Zun - Sittwe area 2
Interviews - Violence • I’m a native of Thandway Township. My parents are mixed. My father is Bengali (Muslim) and my mother is Burmese (was Buddhist, had to convert to Islam), so I am Muslim. Could you explain your experience of the violence in Maungdaw on June 8, 2012? On Friday, June 8, we went to the school where we teach. We came back to the dorm at about 11:30 am on that day. On the way to the dorm, an Arakanese lady told us that the Bengali Muslims were gathering and you should take great care and caution for your security. It was true,there were a lot of Bengali Muslims gathering in the cemetery, while we continued walking to our dorm. So we packed our belongings as soon as we arrived at our dorm. Moreover, we shared the gathering news of Bengalis with other teachers in the village and warned them to be aware and cautious”. When we were done packing, we fled and gathered together along with the villagers at the school principal’s home. After two hours, the Bengali Muslims had finished their gathering and were ready to attack the Arakanese. The Bengalis started setting fire to the Arakan houses. So, we teachers along with the villagers fled to the mountains. The Bengalis chased after us. There were so many Bengalis. When we managed to get high on the mountain, we saw our school principal lying far below. His body had been badly beaten and chopped with machetes by the Bengalis. At 5 pm a senior teacher, Htwan Marm Hlaing and the troops of the NaSaKa (Border Security Force) arrived in the village. We were told to return to the village. At that time, all the houses in the village were burned down. So we had to temporarily stay at a clinic that was not burned down. The next morning, we were brought back to Maungdaw by the army. OK. If so you’re a follower of Islam, what would you like to say about the current violence? What I want to say is that the current violence was started by the Bengalis and they burnt down and destroyed Arakanese houses, buildings and Buddhist monasteries. They are wild and cruel, and they are targeting and killing innocent people, and torturing them. It is so disgusting and inhumane. I’m not sure that they can be tamed. They can’t expel their evil forces. I am not sure if they could ever expel them. We can’t teach them how to be kind and compassionate to each other. What is your opinion of the Bengali Muslims and the current unrest? I think that they are so terrible. I have never seen or experienced such a horrible event in my life. I was so shocked. These people are more then terrible. I would like to say that I will keep my teaching position, and I will try to keep doing good things for our country. Aye Su Thi - teacher, Zawmatet Village, Maungdaw Township ________________________________________________________________________ • As far as we know, Myin-Chaung village was once a Rakhine village. Are there any Arakanese inhabitants in the village now? Yes it was once an Arakanese village, but there are no Arakanese living in the village. It is entirely a Bengali village now. Moreover, there are many. Villages such as Shauk-Kaing, Myin-Chaung, and others, were once all native Arakanese villages. Also Tat Htoe Pyin, Ah-lae-Than-Kyaw and more, used to be Arakanese villages too. The Bengali Muslims destroyed the villages and monasteries and even slaughtered the monks there. Hmwe Tha - 86 year-old grandmother, Nay-Bi-Sate village, Maungdaw township 3
Interviews - Violence • Grandma, can you explain what had happened during the riot? On June 8, 2012 at 4 pm, Bengali mobs had gathered and were heading to local Arakanese villages. So we informed the regional commander by phone. And also, we phoned the village chairperson and monk and told them that we could be killed, and that we could no longer stay in the village. We requested that the authorities please send some security forces to help us get out. Then, the security forces arrived in the village. If they had arrived just five minutes later, the people from this village may have been killed. Even as the police arrived in the village, the Bengalis didn’t retreat. So police fired gunshots in the sky in order to disperse them. At that time, Bengalis dispersed without daring to enter the village but soon they were gathering at the entrance of the village. The police then shot many gunshots into the air to disperse them. How is the current situation of your village? We don’t go outside of the village due to security concerns. We manage to work on the paddy farms that are nearby our village. But we are not able to work on the farms that are away from our village due to the fears of hostility, rape and attack by the Bengalis. What are your difficulties now? Now we are relying on rations donated by different donor and relief groups. We have to share the rations received from donations with the village, as the donated rations are limited. How many houses are there in the village? There are over 80 houses in the village. But we had to take shelter at the regional security camp for 11 days due to safety and security concerns. How did the Bengalis come to your village? Actually, our village was surrounded by many Bengalis and their villages. So they came to our village from different directions and locations in groups. Their intention and plans were that they would destroy all the Pagodas, Stupas and burn down monastery and the entire village as well. So, how many Arakanese villages are around there? Our village is the only Arakanese village here. a Grandma in Maungdaw Township _____________________________________________________________________ • We heard that you witnessed the conflict of Arakanese and Bengalis. Could you please tell us about the conflict? When I woke up on the conflict day, I heard desperate voices saying that “Bengalis are attacking us and burning our houses”. So, I went out with my friends, to know why they are attacking us and burning our houses. When I arrived there, the village was on fire. We had about 100 people, so we went to the Bengali village and asked them “why you burn our houses?”. They had about 300 people. Bengali women told us “Yes, we burn your houses, so what?”, and treat us very badly by showing us their asses. Their children are also challenging us “Arakanese come here, we will kill you”. When we were in that condition, we heard two gunshots from their side. So, we had to run away. Those Bengalis followed us and killed some of us with their swords. I was also hurt as a stone thrown by a Bengali hit it. So, we were sent to the Rathaydaung hospital. There were also some dead Arakanese bodies at the hospital. Hla Htun Thein - Maungdaw Township 4
Interviews - Violence • At about 1:15 pm on June 8, 2012, we had to fire gunshots at the watchtower intersection in Maungdaw. Our police unit was about 50 police personnel including colonel Won Bo and Lieutenant colonel Myint Oo. A Bengali group set fire to the roofs of houses, but we did not receive orders to stop or shoot them. Then, the Bengali mobs began throwing stones at us and Colonel Won Bo ordered us to shoot our guns pointing up to the sky, in order to frighten and disperse the crowd. The large mob ran away when the sudden sound of gunshots happened. But they returned and reorganized at that same place when they noticed that police were not shooting at the people. And they started throwing stones at us. The large and hostile Bengali mob of over a thousand people was surrounding us. The situation was very anxious. The only way to escape and protect our lives from the Bengali group’s attack was to shoot at them to kill them. So Won Bo suddenly ordered us to shoot at them although we didn’t get the official shoot-to-kill order from the superior. One Bengali was shot and the mob stepped back. They did not dare come closer to us, but they were still surrounding us. When they realized that they were not able to do anything to us, they changed their destructive aim to other things. They set started burning down Bo-moe village and the Tha-zun hotel. And, they collapsed rows of shops and threw stones at every house and building. We were not able to advance to stop their movement because we were blocked by large crowds of Bengalis. By the time the Border Operations commander arrived, rows of shops and the Thazun Hotel had already collapsed and were on fire. He took photos of the burning and collapsed places and went back without giving orders or taking any action with us. Do you know the name of that Border Operations commander? Honestly, I don’t know. He took photos of damaged and burning places across the town and villages. When villagers saw him with two security cars entering into the affected areas, they expected they had the person who could secure them from Bengalis’ killing and arson. Unfortunately, the villagers were ignored to protect from dangers. He did the same thing as taking photos of affected places. And he went back without saying anything to villagers. So, we felt angry with him. The Border Operations commander left them without taking any action, in spite of seeing the Bengali mob marching, destroying, attacking and setting fires houses and buildings. I was also waiting for the order to shoot, but we got the order shoot to kill at 5:00 pm. On June 10th, I was sent as a person in charge of a group with 5 members to Sanpra intersection in Maungdaw Township. What is your rank? I am just simple personnel. I have been serving in the police force for almost 20 years, but I haven’t awarded any promotion. It is because I am Arakanese. Ok, how about next when you were sent to the Sanpra intersection? When I was transferred to Sanprya intersection, I served there for almost one month without any absence. While I was serving there, I found Bengali wearing T-shirts as propaganda. Then they tried to make riot, so I arrested them and sent to the police station. When Lieutenant Colonel Myint Oo arrived at the police station, he scolded me and slapped my cheek, saying, “While we are building peace with Bengalis, you did not follow what we do. If Arakanese die, you just pick up the dead body” Then I was ordered to remove all the security forces at Sanprya intersection. So I felt very sorry and angry with him because local Arakanese are being discriminated by the authorities. 5
Interviews - Violence Why do you think why Lieutenant Colonel, and others, discriminates between Arakanese and Bengalis? As far as I have experienced, they took bribes from Bengalis, for various questionable favors. The Supervisory Commander is the highest rank in Arakan State. His corruption was revealed when he shared some bribes with his subordinates. When the Supervisory Commander himself came to Maungdaw to enforce security, he was welcomed by clapping Bengalis. He met and talked with only Bengalis during the unrest, instead of meeting both Arakanese and Bengalis. Would you like to add more? Yes,I would like request to the superiors of the Government: please don’t give favors to any side by accepting bribes. Please be fair for all sides. Pine Soe - Policeman, Maungdaw ________________________________________________________________________ • Since 2 pm, the situation was not stable. At first, the Bengali Muslim groups of men were coming to the gathering area at our village Buddhist pagoda. Then they started setting fire to our Buddhist monastery. So, all the government servants gathered in one of the teachers’ house. The situation became worse and worse. We were all in a dilemma on which way to flee. Mobs of Bengali Muslims suddenly entered the village. People were running back and forth, and in all directions. I was carrying my baby and I fell down the embankment of the village pond and could not get up, and was surrounded by a Bengali mob. When they saw me, some of them said, “she is our village teacher”. And they also told other Bengalis that were just joining this mob that “she is our teacher so don’t harm me”, and also told them in Bengali language, “she has a baby”. But, some said that they would kill me, and some didn’t want to kill me. Some of my students’ parents repeatedly pleaded that I shouldn’t be killed, since I am their village teacher, and also, that I had a baby. But, I heard some say that I should be killed and beheaded. I was very worried about my life, and my baby’s life, and I pleaded with them not to kill me, that I’m a teacher of this village. Two young Bengali students of mine arrived, and told the others that I was their teacher, and they picked me and my baby up and quietly told me which way to run to escape from the village. Then I fled, passing a man chopped to death. Daw Nyo Nyo Warm, teacher, from Sittwe, transferred to Maungdaw ________________________________________________________________________ • The lower part of Gudaung village was four or five households. Bengalis came to set fire to those houses, but the villagers didn’t have any means to protect themselves. People shouted “our houses are on fire!” and other villagers quickly ran to help them. But, they ran into a trap that the Bengalis set, and they were chopped and burned to death by the Bengalis Muslims. Were there any security forces in this area to protect villagers from the attacks and massacre? We had requested that security forces be sent to our region. We reported to the Township administrative office about the condition of the area. Kyaw Zun Hla - retired, Gudaung Village. Now is chairman of charitable committee for the refugee camps in Rathaydaung Township. 6
Interviews - Violence • On June 8th, 2012, after the prayer service at the mosque, Bengalis in Maungdaw started rioting. At the same time, it was learnt that the Bengalis instigated their own people to set fire to their own houses in Mungan ward. Our Shwe Byar ward is quite close to the Bengali area and my home is just a street away from the Bengalis' ward, so we set out on patrol to watch their activities. Bengalis were gathering in hostile mobs in every ward. I thought they might attack our ward, as we had similar experiences in 1996 and 2001. We remembered how they brought fuel or gasoline to set our houses on fire. For these reasons we formed security patrols. In areas bordering with Bengali villages, the village elders took care for the security. Close to my house, me and other young people from our ward watched out for security. Then we heard that the Bengalis set fire to Arakanese' houses in Mungan quarter. We saw the Bengalis wandering in hostile mobs on the streets. Because we were vigilant, there was no violent event on the 8th and the day successfully passed. On June 9th, around 9 p.m., around 20 Arakanese arrived in our ward with knives and swords. They asked for men to help reinforce the security in their village which was close to a Bengali village and we sent some people with them. We couldn't sleep well on the night of 9th. We were watching out, worriedly. The situation was deteriorating. On June 10th, around 10 a.m., there was a riot, and at that time the Bengalis set houses on fire. They set fire to Arakanese houses and even their own houses as well and fled by boats. We just let them ran away and we didn't try to kill them, as we keep humanity first according to our Buddhist religion. It was amazing no Arakanese had tried to harm the Bengalis. When some Bengalis were fleeing, 70 Bengali women were gathering around U Sein Maung Than's house. When the security forces arrived, they were sent to the boats. We let them go, and meanwhile the people were busy putting out the fire and watching out for other dangers. Later when we thought back about this situation we realized that: if the Arakanese were fleeing, instead of Bengalis, nobody would be alive. The Bengalis were lucky, because we are tolerant and compassionate, and the Bengalis are free because of our kindness. But, as those Bengalis left, I thought our village was free from their hostilities, but Bengalis who were left hiding in the village started burning down Tarar Thisu quarter at around 3:30 p.m. Were you able to arrest those who set the houses on fire? Yes, villagers were able to arrest those Bengalis who burned down the houses. And they brought them to the police. What would you like to say regarding Bengalis? Presently, the authorities are arresting, investigating and interrogating those who are entering Burma illegally. Prisoners told that they had a plan to occupy Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Rathaydaung townships on August 1st , 2012, and that they would occupy Sitetway later. Then they will make demands of the government. This is heard from their confessions to the authorities. When we learned of their brutal conspiracy, I was amazed. First, I had saved them and let them go, as I assumed they are my neighbors and I felt pity upon them. But they have exploited our kind mentality and tried to dominate not only Arakan State, but all of Burma. That is why I abhor these Bengalis. They are showing their force by holding weapons. They can attack anytime against Arakanese villages. For that reason, we formed patrol ourselves to watch out the village's safety. We didn’t have to sleep well since the day of the riot. We are sleeping for a while in daytime. At night, we take security for the village. 7
Interviews - Violence How do you feel after this experience? I can’t live here anymore. We have few men and they have more. Two monasteries were set on fire; Inparama monastery and Zayar Theindi monastery. These monasteries are situated in ward 12 and 13 of Mungan quarter. How many Bengalis, do you estimate are living around here? I think more than two thousand Bengalis. They come out like ants from their colony. They come out as mob. As the police warn by firing shots up in the air, they withdrew. There was only me and Ko Hla Maung Than left in the village at that time. Finally, we had to run for our lives. a teacher in Maungdaw township _____________________________________________________________________ • Since noon on that day (8 June), many Muslim Bengalis were at the mosque. The news was spreading that something would happen in Maungdaw. But I didn’t expect that the problem would be so serious and deadly. After the friday prayers, around noontime, many many Bengalis came out of the mosque and gathered at the local market of Zawmatet. I estimated that there were some 6,000 Bengalis, other teachers estimated up to 10,000. Bengalis started setting fire to a shop. After that, they set fire to the Forestry Preservation Camp and then they headed to the Buddhist monastery to burn it down. After that, they destroyed the ‘House for the Spirit’ near the monastery and set a nearby shop on fire. They then headed to our dormitory and forced their way into the dorm where both male and female teachers live and destroyed everything there after taking away what they want from the dorm, and then they set it on fire. At this moment, the Bengali Muslims, who were at the south and at the front of the village entered into the village in groups. They destroyed all the Arakanese houses and took away the properties they wanted and set fire to all local Arakanese houses in the village. Htwan Marm Latt, teacher, from Kyauk-phyru, but teaching in Rawthaitkay ________________________________________________________________________ • The problem that started on June 8 resulted in the loss of 300 lives. My village, with 40 people, was surrounded by over 1,000 Bengali Muslims. Our village monk reported to the local authority that the village was surrounded by hostile Bengalis. Then 3 police and an administrator arrived and the Bengalis retreated a bit. But, later they came to the village again, with sticks and swords, but they didn’t dare enter our village. The Bengalis entered the nearby forest near our village, so we dared not to go into the forests. Our villagers saw many hostile Bengalis while they were working on the farms. So, they returned to the village, fearing attack by the Bengalis. Our villagers are facing difficulties because we are not able to find vegetables and fish outside of the village. We are scared of attacks from the Bengalis. We work on farms and do road construction. Since individual villagers work in different locations quite further away from each other, they found it difficult to work on the farms because they were fearful of possible attacks by Bengali Muslims. U Shwe Maung - Village Headman, Maungdaw Township
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Interviews - Violence • Can you tell us the events in Rwar Tharyar village? Yes. Previously, we have heard that the Bengalis are marching to Rwar Thayar village and we followed them there. When we got there, we saw young Bengali kids and we tried to restrain them. At that time, each side tried to restrain their followers and it ended peacefully. In next four or five days, the Bengali groups merged with other groups and started attacking Arakanese villages. How many Bengalis were there, do you estimate? Around 700 to 1,000 Bengalis were there. Most stayed as back up and they sent 50 men out to the front. When the attack happened, the others came out and joined the fight. They brought knives, spears and catapults. Ko Hla Htay died by a sword stroke to his neck. Was there any similar incident in the past? There were some, but they are not on such a large scale like this. They have tried to damage our lives and properties. We can't accept this. How do you feel about this fight and the conflict? I am a Buddhist. I don't want someone to suffer badly. But I will not be silent, if someone threatens and damages our lives and properties. I am ready to sacrifice my life to defend race, nation and religion. These Bengalis are always selfish and canny. We Arakanese must be vigilant about this. Maung Hla Tin - Rwar Thayar ward, Sittwe _______________________________________________________________________ • When we heard that Bengalis were burning down houses, my son accompanied some villagers who went to protect our village. And my husband went after my son to stop him from fighting because our son was so young to be involved in the fight. But, both my husband and my son were killed in the fight. Were your husband and son at home when the conflict initially started? Yeah, they were drinking tea. How did they leave home? When my son joined the villagers to stop the Bengalis from attacking and setting fire to our villages, my husband accompanied him. I think they left home at about 7 AM. How do you feel about the loss of your family members? I feel that the sky has fallen down over me. My son is too young to die. This is an irreplaceable loss in my family. What is the age of your son? He was just 18 years old. He was in 10th grade. How did Bengalis kill them? I was not witness to that. But most people who already saw the bodies told me that their bodies were not in one piece. Their bodies were chopped into pieces. People would not let me see my husband body since I would be shocked and would faint. What is your perception of Bengalis? I do not want to see them on our land anymore. Yai Thien Phru - Gudaung village, Rathaydaung 9
Interviews - Violence • • Do you have family in your village? All my family members are at U-Daung village. Once we had to flee when Bengali Muslims came and slaughtered many of us. Where did you live before? Myin-Chaung Village. It is in the southern part of Maungdaw Township. How old were you when you first experienced Bengali Muslims attacking Rakhine Buddhist people? I was 14 years old. Did you flee the village at that time? It was so severe at that time. They massacred our villagers with all the weapons they had, such as knives and swords. This time, they just burned our houses to force us to leave the village. How many villagers died in your village during that time? During that time I would say I was somewhat lucky to know, ahead of time, that the Bengalis were organizing to kill us and burn our village. Some who did not flee the village in time were slaughtered; the headman of the village was chopped as if he was a fish. We ran up to the mountains. We had stay in the Hta-bin-tote mountain range with food shortages and everything. We survived in the mountains and forest, suffering extreme conditions for about 3 months. What did you eat while on the mountains? We brought some rice and a pot; we did not manage to bring anything more than that. Were you able to bring some of your property and belongings when you fled the village? No, we lost everything: houses, cattle, and farmland. What kinds of difficulties did you face when you fled the village? Some villagers escaped, but many were killed by Bengalis. As far as we know, Myin-Chaung village was once a Rakhine village. Are there any Arakanese inhabitants in the village now? Yes it was once an Arakanese village, but there are no Arakanese living there now. It’s entirely Bengali now. Moreover, there are many villages such as Shauk-Kaing, and Myin-Chaung, etc were once all native Arakanese villages. Also Tat Htoe Pyin, Ah-lae-Than-Kyaw and etc, were also used to be Arkanese villages too. They destroyed the villages and monasteries and even slaughtered the monks there. After the first conflict, how long did it take you to return village? It took us 20 years. Once the government launched relocation program, we returned to the village on a Russian Ship from Ah-pauk-wa village, Kyauk-Taw Township. When we came on the ship, we had ticket to Buthidaung. We requested to leave us at Thi-taung village because we are afraid of Bengalis at Buthidaung. Officers on the ship rejected and transported us to Buthidaung. He said that we would settle down in any places in the township when we got there. But it didn’t work what he said. Can you please share your opinion on Bengalis? In my opinion, Bengalis are very rude, cruel, and evil and they don’t know what graditude and compassion are. They even kill their benefactors and teachers. They are like very aggressive and terrifying animals. Hmwe Tha - 86 year-old grandmother, Nay-Bi-Sate village, Rathaydaung 10
Interviews - Violence • Can you describe the difficulties you experienced on the day you fled? We fled with our children. We fled the villages as we heard Muslims were burning Arakanese villages. Since I have kids, I was worried about their safety and fled quickly. Both rain and wind turned the calm river deadly for the motor boat; kids were trembling because of terror and harsh weather. Were the motorboats ready once you made to the pier? There was one medium motorboat owned by the village and there were a few other small ones. We fled with all those motorboats, carrying refugees beyond capacity. We were screaming, because the river was heavy due to the wind and rain. How many trips did the medium motorboat make, to transport all the villagers? It took her three days to evacuate all the villages. We were not among the first who fled the village; we were transported by smaller motor boats. I think those motorboats made 20 trips to the village during the evacuation operations. Children were embracing each other in terror while on the motor boat. Due to the severe weather, two people had to steer the motor boat; we thought we would die under the brutality of heavy rain and wind, in the middle of the river, after barely escaping from possible slaughter by Bengalis. Were there any such incidents before? Yes there were. Bengalis burnt down the Nay-Be-Sate village and Yan-Aung-Pyn village. We had to flee. I was 16 years old then. We had to run through forests until we reached Nay-Pu-Khan village. When you fled at that time, were you with your family, or with other villagers? We had to run in haphazard fashion, everyone ran in absolute terror in all directions. Finally we found each other, close to the mouth of the Mayu River. We took refuge in Gudaung village. How long did you take refuge in Gudaung village? Almost one year. When we returned to our village at the time of the rice harvest, the Bengalis returned with terror. We fled again, leaving my mother-in-law’s house and my grandpa’s house. The Bengalis burned the village to ashes. So, how many times have you fled from your village? A: Twice. This is the second time. However, this time is more severe. In addition, we are hearing all kinds of threats and terror from the Bengalis. What is your opinion of the Bengalis? Since they are bringing terror to our native people - burning our villages and killing our people - we see them as an evil enemy. We have just heard that 3 men in Myin-Phuu village have been slaughtered by the Bengalis. Ma Than Ye - widowed mother of 4 children, Nat Chaung village, Rathaydaung ________________________________________________________________________ • Could you please tell us how your husband died? When he heard that Bengalis were burning down the villages, he went out to stop them at around 7 am, and I heard that he was dead around 8:15. I don’t even know how. He just went out as a normal person, and after a few minutes, I heard that he was dead. Ma Khin Nu - widow, Ratchidaung area 11
Interviews - Violence Our Mawrawaddy Village was burned down by the Bengali Muslims. Initially our village had security police who told us that “nothing would happen to us, we didn’t need to worry about our security and we didn’t need to run away.” Then on June 8, Bengali Muslims came into our village shouting loudly. The villagers gathered together near the police station. When the Bengalis came towards us, and shouted aggressively at us, we fled and climbed to the top of the nearby mountain - elders, children and all people of our village.We were all exhausted, as we had to climb to the top of the mountain very fast. We didn’t have time to bring any clothes or belongings, as we had to flee quickly to escape from the Bengalis’ attack and the threat to our lives. Worse we didn’t even bring any swords or spears to protect ourselves. And we also didn’t bring any torchlight to use at night, since we had to flee so quickly. Then, our village was set on fire by the Bengali Muslims while we were fleeing for our safety. How many people were involved in setting fire to your village? Actually there were many Bengali Muslims - approximately 10,000 people. When they came to us, we didn’t shouted from the mosque speaker telling the mobs where the Arakanese people were gathering. How many houses in your village were burned down? 109 houses were burned down. Daw Hla Sein - mother, MawrawaddyVillage ________________________________________________________________________ • A Bengali mob came to the Buddhist monastery and set it on fire. There were some shops near the monastery and then they set them on fire. They continued down the street torching more shops . Then, the Bengali mob moved to the dormitory where Rakhine teachers live and tried to burn it down. The dormitory did not burn as much as they expected, so they broke into the dorm and stole the belongings of the residents. They continued attacking the local Rakhine residents in the area. Due to the fires and attacks the Rakhine residents fled their village in great panic and frenzy. As I ran towards the mountain to escape the attacks, I turned back and saw that some Bengalis, mostly teenage and in their twenties, were killing Rakhine people. They first hit Rakhine people with machetes. If they were still alive, they beat them to death with wooden bats and rocks. While they were killing Rakhine people, Sayargyee (School Principal) Shan and his wife approached the Bengalis to request them to stop the attacks. He thought they would listen to him since he has been teaching in the area for about 20 years and they were his students. Sayargyee Shan's wife was hit on her head with a machete by a Bengali. Saya Shan and his wife shouted at each other, "Run, run, run, run away..." as they faced a Bengali mob armed with knives, wooden bats, rocks and gasoline bottle bombs. Then, the Bengalis demanded that Saya Shan surrender his sword. He said, "No, I can't." So, he was beaten and murdered. Most of the Bengalis who killed Sayargyee Shan are his own students. After that, Bengalis kept assaulting other local Rakhine residents with their knives, machete, wooden bats and rocks. They burnt all the motorcycles. Rakhine villagers ran to the top of the mountain. As I ran, I heard voices from the Bengali mobs saying, "We will come back to kill you all after burning the village down." All the houses and shops in our village were burned to ashes. Only two houses were left in our village. A Rakhine female teacher from Kyeintali 12
Interviews - Violence • The house of my mother-in-law was set on fire by ‘fire-rings’. A fire-ring is a hand-made weapon which can be thrown from a certain distance to start a fire. Villagers tried to put out the fire. But the Bengalis continuously set fire on the other houses around it. Firefighters efforts to put out the fire were not successful since there were fires being started in every direction. I was watching to see whether or not the fires would spread to my house but I saw that I had no choice but to leafe my house and we sadly and heart-painfully watched my house burn down to ashes. I have lost kitchenware, clothes, and value properties. I have nothing at all, I did not even have the chance to put on my slippers. Were all family members present when the event happened? My elder son and husband were fighting the fires burning the other houses. My younger son, elder daughter and I ran to the monastery. How do you feel about current crisis? I am very sad losing my house and my happy family life. I am sad as we are now fully dependent upon the abbot (senior Buddhist monk). We did not even have a chance to enjoy our newly built house. It is all ruined now. I feel broken-hearted whenever I look at my children and see them in this condition. Thein May - mother, Balikone, Kone Dan Quarter, Sittwe ________________________________________________________________________ • The Bengali Muslims killed any Rakhine people they saw. They have no appreciation of their school teachers or the patrons who have helped them. They killed everyone they saw. The Bengalis were saving petrol and fuel for the purpose of setting fires. The fire started from the house where they stored the fuel. At that time, the fire brigade cars and police arrived. Meanwhile, there were no Bengalis, they used their boats to flee by river. These Bengalis systematically planned to attack the Rakhine. Now we have to organize patrols to watch out for the Bengalis’ boats as they come by river to burn the village. We worry for our lives and we can’t sleep at night. First, we have to watch the river, because they came that way to burn the village. Why do you think the Bengalis set fire to their own houses? This is a new tactic that they use. They lie and claim to the world that they - the minority - are persecuted by the majority Rakhine, and that the Rakhine set their houses on fire, and another reason is that they want to get financial support from Muslim countries. They even asked, and cried in front of, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for help. This is some of the strategy employed by the Bengalis. They planned their uprising in their ‘holy’ mosques. They organized protests and activities to propagate their lies to the world - that they are the innocent victims of the Rakhine people. UNHCR and AZG are some of the main culprits helping the Bengalis with their dishonest campaign. We should limit the activities of foreign NGOs, such as UNHCR and AZG. Some of those who led the violence and who have hidden weapons are linked to AZG staffs. And, there is the evidence of Bengali Muslim links to Al Qaeda, Taliban and other Islamic terrorist groups. U Maung Hla - Shwe Byar quarter of Sittwe 13
Interviews - Violence • We fled in fear of attack from the Bengalis, when we heard that hostile Bengali mobs were coming towards our village. We passed through jungles and mountains. When we arrived near the village of Doedan, the Bengalis came out to attack and chop us with swords and machetes. So we were split into smaller groups. Unfortunately one of our groups arrived in the Bengali village of Praidaung, and the Bengalis pointed their swords at the necks of our villagers. Then, we pleaded with the Bengalis to not to kill us. Hla Sein Nu - farmers wife, Kyauksadine Village, near to the Mayu Mountain Range __________________________________________________________________ What happened in your village? • We heard the Bengalis shouting with extreme anger and hostility. First they marched towards our village shouting wildly. But they retreated when the border security personnel fired several shots into the sky, to stop their violent march. We telephoned nearby Arakanese villages for help, in the meantime. Bengalis were trying to burn the Arakanese owned rice mill in our village. We telephoned more nearby villages for help. When people from other villages arrived to help, the Bengalis suddenly began to burn their some of their own houses and ran away into the mountain nearby. At this point, we sent women and children off to Rathaydaung for security reasons. Many men from our village work abroad, thus there are only about 40 men plus 2 border security personnel guarding our security. Did you leave the village immediately after the conflict? We fled the village the day after the conflict. We had no motorboats in our village to transport us to Rathaydaung, thus we had to get help from other Arakanese villages. We had to hide in the mountains for a couple days until boats were available. It was frightening while we were hiding from possible attack from the Bengalis Muslims in the nearby hills. Sein Kyawt Phru - 76 year old grandfather, Nay-Bi-Sate village, Rathaydaung Township.
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