October 19, 2016

Burmese Soldier Hacks Three Rohingya Passers-by

A Burmese soldier hacked three Rohingya passers-by in Buthidaung Township yesterday evening critically injuring two of them, according to an eyewitness.

The incident happened around 5:45 PM yesterday while three Rohingyas – a mother and son duo; and another youth – hailing from ‘NgaChingTok’ village were on their way back home from the market. (Courtesy of rvisiontv.com)

In Western Myanmar, a Lockdown and Fears of More Violence

More than a week after attacks on police officers began a wave of bloodshed in western Myanmar, a lockdown by security forces has prevented aid workers from operating in the area, and new videos of what appear to be local Muslims calling for resistance have raised fears of more violence.

Maj. Gen. Aung Soe, the deputy minister for home affairs, told reporters on Monday in Naypyidaw, the capital, that 30 attackers had been killed in Rakhine State since the Oct. 9 assaults on three border posts that left nine police officers dead. Activists from the Rohingya ethnic group, a persecuted Muslim minority who number more than a million in Rakhine, have accused the security forces of waging a counterinsurgency campaign against civilians, and they have circulated photos that they say show security forces burning Rohingya homes.

Neither the government’s nor the activists’ version of events could be independently verified. But an advocacy group, Fortify Rights, recently said that it had interviewed witnesses who described what appeared to be extrajudicial killings by the military. (Courtesy of nytimes.com)

Military lockdown cuts off U.N. aid to strife-hit Myanmar region

Violence in a Muslim-majority region of Myanmar is stopping aid agencies from delivering food and medicines, a United Nations official said on Tuesday, as security forces respond to deadly raids that the government says were inspired by Islamists.

Troops have been sweeping northern Rakhine state for more than a week, hunting an estimated 400 fighters who officials believe are members of the mostly stateless Rohingya Muslim community acting with the support of Islamists abroad.

The Myanmar military has declared the area an "operation zone" and has tightly controlled the flow of information since insurgents seized dozens of weapons in raids on border posts on Oct. 9 in which nine police officers were killed. (Courtesy of reuters.com)

Enforced Disappearances of Innocent Rohingyas by Burmese Regime

The Burmese armed forces have been continuosly committing enforced disappearances of innocent Rohingya civilians in northern Maungdaw since October 9, whilst scaling down the mass atrocities like openly killing them and burning down their homes, the local sources say.

The armed forces such as the military and the Border Guard Police have been arbitrarily arresting innocent Rohingyas from their homes, grabbing them from the roads and summoning them to their camps; and detaining them incommunicado after that.

It’s feared that many of the arrestees have been killed since the time of their arrests.

“Around 2 PM, yesterday (i.e. on October 18), the Lt. Commander of Kyaw Thet Zaw of NgaKura (NagPura) Camp summoned 12 Rohingya elders from the (NgaKura) village. They have been out of contact since them and haven’t returned home yet. (Courtesy of rvisiontv.com)

Urgent Humanitarian Assistance Needed For IDPs From Kyet Yoe Pyin Village

Internally displaced people in Kyet Yoe Pyin village tract in Northern Maungdaw Towship are facing difficulties for medical treatment, food and Shelters.

In Kyet Yoe Pyin village tract includes 5 affected hamlets, Ywa Gyi hamlet, West hamlet, Lu Tin Farang hamlet and Fawr Zar Gar Fara hamlet. The population is 4994 Males and 5016 Females for a total of 10010 people that dwelled in a total 1368 houses.

According to locals, 803 houses from Kyet Yoe Yin village tract were burnt to ashes by the Myanmar military on October 12th and October 13th. Two third of the market was burnt down there too. All cattle, goats and chickens were loaded on trucks and taken away. (Courtesy of rohingyablogger.com)