The Play Ground Sriti Charon (Memorizing)

Last Wednesday We are on way to KFC (Chittagong) it was Ryan birthday. Just one block away Ryan (5 years Hillol's younger son) changed his mind and requested his father to take them Well Food (Sugar Bun, Malaysian Chain). Hillol and I toke opinion of all kids (Swapnil, Ryan elder brother 9 years), (Purna, 10 years 1st Cousin of Ryan), (Kavane, 6years 1st cousin), (Rio, 5 years 1st cousin) 5 vote went for Well Food. At first I thought Kids follow each other. Road to prediction, what they see they follow. But I was wrong they are agreed because the play place of Well Food is bigger then KFC. When we crossing KFC kids screaming goodbye KFC Grandpa ( Colonel Harland Sanders) . Thinking these kids has athleticism inside like others.They are trapped in our concrete world. Swapnil Loves to play karate (Yellow belt holder) swimming too. He has roller blade but no roller blade park.In my teenage I do roller blade when no vehicle on the road (HRATAL). Kavane father was 1st division cricket player of Chittagong league. We spend most of our time playing Soccer, Cricket and others game. In our generation we cheer our school team in tournament. (Inter school soccer, cricket, basketball tournament). There was two major cricket league 1st division and 2nd division.Now no tournament no sponsor. We use to play vacant plot and playing ground. Now all went to Real Estate people.One day no athlete will come from this country. We will found play station gamer. Big cyber gamer. We play computer or online game. But we love physical game too.Actually what we giving our kids a computer, a play station and a concrete play place.

ARAKAN: A Silent Killing Field (Part-I) By ZAW MIN HTUT

ARAKAN: A Silent Killing Field (Part-I)

By ZAW MIN HTUT

Amnesty International report, which emphasises on the cover “The Climate of fear continues, members of ethnic minorities and political prisoners still targeted," reported that Mohamed Eliyas, a Muslim in his early 60s from Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, was reportedly beaten by Military Intelligence Services (MIS) personnel on 19 June 1992 and died on 23 June.The Local Secretary of the NLD, he was arrested with Fazzle Ahmed (a Member of Parliament with the NDPH ticket in 1990 General Election) on 13 June for alleged involvement in a bomb explosion near Maungdaw town. He was reportedly held in incommunicado detention and severely beaten and on 19 June he was taken to hospital, where he later died. After Amnesty International urged SLORC to investigate this case, they claimed that he died of acute gastro intestinal disease while undergoing medical treatment. However, sources related to his family have stated that Mohamed Eliyas was in good health at the time of his arrest. Ammesty International remains concerned about the circumstances of his death, particularly in light of the gross violation of human rights committed by the SLORC against Muslims in the Arakan State.

In the fateful morning of June 23, 1993, 5 Rohingyas were lined up on the bank of Mingalagyi creek outside the village of Dargadale (Kyauk-Layga) and shot at one by one by Na- Sa-Ka forces (frontier Security Forces), the functionaries of the present SLORC military government at the border areas, belonging to Franfru (Pinpru) Na-Sa-Ka camp, 6 miles north of Maungdaw township in Arakan State of Burma.

The Victims were:-

Fayas Ahmed (32), Son of Abdul Gaffar

Mohammed (32), Son of Abul Hussein

Abdul Rahim (22), Son of Gulam Sharif

Nagu (26), Son of Abdul Kader

Kala Matiya (20) Son of Sayed Karim belonged to Frangfru village and the above four belonged to Dargadale village.

At the death of the silent night of 27th June 1993 at about 3:00 am. Na-Sa-Ka forces of the same camp killed the remaining five persons who were earlier detained along with those killed on 23 June 1993.

They were:-

Zahir Ahmed (26) S/o Abdul Hakim, Dargadil, Mdw.

Abdul Hashim (27) S/o Mohamed Hussein, Frangfru, Mdw.

Shokat (25) S/o Nesu Maje, Frangfru, Mdw.

Nur Ali (35) S/o Mohamed Ismail, Dargadale, Mdw.

Nuru (30) S/o Nagu, Dargadale, Mdw.

The crops were taken to the nearby Mingalagyi Bazar and told the frightened people that anyone found doing anything against the military government should meet the same penalty. The victims along with 10 others including 3 women had been arrested earlier 91' fabricated allegations. Neither any court proceedings or hearing against the victims were clone nor they were given the rights of defence and appeal. They were subjected to severe torture before being killed. The 3 women were subjected to rape.

SLORC / SPDC is one of the cruellest and most abusive regimes in the world, which had killed thousands of people across the nation while detaining many, more in torturing cells since 1988. The Rohingyas in Arakan have been the victims of profound perpetual intolerable group persecution and driven out of their homeland, are worst affected group in Burma.Rohingyas are now a people in danger.

This Killing is a crime against humanity and is a clear violation of Article 9-3 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the resolution approved by the 40th Session of the UN General Assembly. This is also against the recommendations set in the principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary or summary Execution. In Burma today, the officials are not accountable to their acts against the Rohingyas. The Na-Sa- Ka is empowered to do whatever they like to erase the Rohingyas from the soil of Arakan.

Despite the facts that Burma had ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide in 1956 acceded to the Convention on the rights of the child in 1991 'and to the four Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949, which set minimum humane standards of conduct in all situation of the armed conflict. The junta has no respect for international norms.

In July 1991, about 500 Rohingya businessmen were arrested under the so-called, "Phi-tha-ya Operation." Their all belongings were confiscated. They were tortured with all the methods of torture including helicopter and motorbike ridings. Some of them including a newly married Rohingya youth of Seikipara, Akyab Township were dead.

They were sentenced to 4 to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour without proper trial and rights of defence and appeal. They were taken to the frontline of the military operation of engage in pottering or to use them as human shield and cleansing mines or road construction projects.

In early February 1992, the Lun Htin forces at Purma, north of Maungdaw while crossing the Naf River to Bangladesh had killed 20 refugees. To curtail it the SLORC officials arrested six refugees alleging that they had attempted to loot arms from the Lun Htin. Actually, the Lun Htin had looted the refugee's belongings. Eight persons from Godora village of Maungdaw north were sentenced to death though they were innocent, for a case of the murder to their old dispute with some Chakmas, some Rakhine in revenge committed.

From May 1994, North Arakan had become a new Killing Field. At SLORC death camps of Maungdaw and Buthidaung Town- ships, Rohingyas were tortured, shot or Slaughtered, more chilling is that the people were to dig their own grave before being killed or buried alive. Alleging as RSO sympathisers or alleging supporters, Rohingyas were taken late at night from their homes and were tortured to deaths or buried alive.

Under the pretext of looking for insurgents, random killing in the villages is a regular routine action of the SLORC / SPDC brute forces. About 60.000 troops have been deployed in North Arakan who used hundreds and thousands of Rohingyas as human shields. Thousands of porters were carried to unknown places in the jungles most of whom have never come back.

Under false and imaginary charges thousands of Rohingyas had been gunned down and slaughtered. They were forced at gun-point, to kill each other by slaughtering or by striking with spades on the heads. There are instances that the brother had to kill his own brother and both the father and son were killed together before the very eyes of the family members. At least 300 Rohingyas were buried in the mass graves in the town- ships of Maungdaw and Buthidaung.

A few of them are given below:-

1. Kaloo (a) U Win Myint, the Vice-President of Maungdaw Township NLD (National League of Democracy)

2. U Ba Tun (a) Noor Mohamed, a Geologist S/o Ali Hussein, a retired Police Officer, Fayazi Para Maungdaw.

3. Rashid S/o Khalil, Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
4. Norul Haque S/o - Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
5. Noor Hussein S/o Abdul Amin, Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
6. Mohamed Rafique /S/o Mlv Mohd. Amin, Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
7. Shukkur S/o Kasim, Karipara, Maungdaw, a Head Clerk of Maungdaw TLORC.
8. Mohamed Eliyas S/o HajeAhmedul Rahman, Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
9. Mohamed Ullah S/o Kaseern Ali, Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
10. Fazal Ahmed S/o -- Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
11. Yasin S/o Fayas Ahmed, Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
12. Hafez Hakim S/o Shafu Mistri, Zantula, Maunzdaw.
13. Habibur Rahman S/o Molovi S iddique, G:dusara, Maungdaw.
14. Nayeem (a) Shew Htoon, S/o U ChlitMaung (NLD President of Buthidaung Township).
15. Amir Hakim S/o Ahmed Meah, Taungbazar, Buthidaung.
16. Jamal Hussein S/o Nazir Hussein, Shewza, Maungdaw.
17. Moulana Deen Mohammed, Sabrang, Buthidaung.
18. Mohammed Ayub and his son, Sabrang, Buthidaung.
19. Mohammed Anwar S/o Abu Bakker, Sabrang, Buthidaung.

20. Moulana Mohammed Ali S/o Hajee Ashrof Ali Inden's Madarasa's Principal.

21. Hafez Mohamed Rafique S/o Mohammed Islam, Nganchaung Village, Maungdaw.

22. Moulana Habibur Rahman, Mayrulla para, Maumgdaw.
23. Mohammed Jamil S/o Abdul Razaak, Nganchaung village, Maungdaw.
24. Mohammed Yahaya S/o Master Shafi Ullah, Nganchaung village, Maungdaw.
25. Hafez Mohamed Ulla S/o Master Mustafiz, Nganchaung village, Maungdaw.
26. Saleh Ahmed S/o Bukunia, Fawkhali, Maungdaw.
27. Sha Alom S/o Sharit Ullah, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
28. Kaseem S/o Sultan, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
29. Sayed Alom S/o Sur Mohammed, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
30. Bashir Ahmed S/o Khalil, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
31. Noor Mohamed S/o Mohamed Hussein, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
32. Abdullah S/o Abdul Salam, Myothugyi. Maungdaw.

Source : Human Rights Abuses and Discrimination on Rohingyas 2003

The Akyab Massacre in 2001 By ZAW MIN HTUT

The Akyab Massacre in 2001

By ZAW MIN HTUT

Source : Human Rights Abuses and Discrimination on Rohingyas 2003

In 1967 bulk of the rice produced in Arakan was carried away to Rangoon by Ne Win's military regime causing rice shortage in Arakan and many people died of starvation. continuous hunger provoked anger among the people of Akyab and a riot erupted which deploying army at the scene who gunned down many on the spot cursed down. Persons seriously injured but still alive were said to have been dumped in mass graves in unknown places of Akyab. The irony dictator Ne Win showed his brutality to the Arakanese people as a first time.

On November 17, 1994 there was communal violence in Akyab, in Which Rakhine students attacked the houses and shops of Muslims. the Attacks continued for three days and mosques were also attacked. The authorities responded only belatedly when mob surrounded the office of the Vice-consul of Bangladesh and threw stones. As the local authorities did not respond to the compliment, the vice-counsel had to inform the Ambassador of Bangladesh in Rangoon, who complained the matter to the SLORC. The SLORC promptly sent back the Arakan State Commander who was attending the meeting of SLORC in Rangoon to stop the riot against Muslims and Bangladesh's office. At least two Muslims were killed, one of them a pregnant woman and several others were wounded.

Whenever Burmese Military government faced political hard-ship, it tries to create communal riots. At present SPDC is con-fronting various internal and external difficulties, so it has been deliberately organizing a rampage against the Muslim community of Arakan. For months there has been sporadic lootings, extortion and killings throughout the Arakan State, especially in the Muslim Majority area of North Arakan. This Campaign is being Systematically organised and carried out by the government through their adopted agents who used to do all unscrupulous things against the Muslim. It is only to divert the political attention of the public.

One of the fresh genocidal rampages was started from the beginning of February 2001 in Akyab, The Capital of Arakan State at the very presence of military personal and police forces.

It Started on 4th February 2001 at 8.00P.M. local time in Aung Mingalar Quarter in Akyab. A group of thugs in disguise of Buddhist monks attacked and looted a young girl vendor. When her husband resisted the attack, the thugs grew larger. Many monks and hooligans came out from nearby monastery and Buddhist settlement with knives, sticks ,spears and other deadly weapons plus petrol to set the house on fire. They became more violent, started looting and setting houses on fire.

An estimate of 150 to 180 Muslims killed, more then 500 injured, 200 missing, including woman and children and thousand left homeless in a planned way of secret killings. Soon after starting provoked quarrel and then they have statrted set fire Mawlike Junction mosque and house each belonging to U Ali Hussain, U Aung Thar Tun, U Kyaw Sein. U Mynar, U Hal Myint, U Mohamed Sultan, U Rafique and Daw Marium. The Maung Kaba tea stall and Siraj Medicine Shop Etc. all along the Main Road, Akyab. All virtually Muslim properties were set ablaze by unruly Buddhist mob. The riotous mob aducated 10-18 Muslim teenage girls and 14-16 muslim youts from Gon Boarding where they stayed as visitors from Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Kyauktaw Town-ship etc. There is not a single trace of them till now. At an other stage, just before the incident takes place, all telephone communication facilities of local Muslims has been cut off but entire Buddhist ones have been functioning.

When the Muslim victims of the riot contacted the Army and police to seek help, the police station as well as Army camp, both did not answer. Still the panic-stricken Rohingyas are yet to be rescued by the law enforcing agencies of Burmese regime. Although the SPDC authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the city from 6th February 2001, the Buddhist Rakhines could walk without hindrances but the Muslim Rohingyas could not move in and out. The dead bodies were thrown away by the army and not given to Muslims for burial. From February 4-6 the anti-Muslim riot swept through the Muslims areas of Mawlike Ward, Molvipara ward, Nazir Ward, Rohingya Para ward, Sakki Bazzar ward and Kaoshy Para, Amla Para Ward were as many as 600 houses including 4 Muslim owned Boarding were burnt down. On 8th February one Mosque and 20 houses were burned down in Kyaukphyu Township in Arakan State. On 9th February 8 Muslim houses in Rathedaung Township and 11 Muslim houses in Pauktaw Township were burned down. Yet the Rakhine had been in- flicted on Rohingya houses residences and Mosque in Kyaukphyu, Kyauktaw, Minbya, and Rathedaung towns. The Jamay Mosque of Kyauktaw was partially destroyed. Partial destruction of Mosque in Kyaukphy, Minbya and Pauktaw were also reported. Most of the houses, stores, go-downs and housing shops were burnt down by mobs. There were goods worth of million Kyats. It is estimated the lost of material thousand million in Kyats.

Human Rights Watch reported in its July 2002 report; violence against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan is a way of life. In Arakan the Burmese army carries out the violence against Muslim systematically. The report continues, police and soldiers reportedly stood by and did nothing to stop the violence initially. It was several hours before they intervened. According to a local resident it was only when the police realized that the Muslims were fighting back and killing Buddhists that police acted, shooting their weapons into the air. When this did not disperse the crowds, another sixty police reinforcements arrived in a truck and began to shoot directly at the Muslims according to other local residents. 'There were several dead bodies in he streets.' said one eyewitness.

The Burmese junta has been pursuing a policy of divide and rule in Arakan and is afraid of Rohingya and Rakhine unity. Creating such religious and ethnic riots help them rule Arakan. The riot in Akyab will lead the Muslims to feel that Akyab is unsafe to stay and Muslim presence there will drastically fall and their economy will be ruined. Muslim students in Akyab College were also attacked and their fate was also unknown. The government clamed down the entire affair by force without finding out the actual culprits and punishing them to avert recurrence of such riots. Instead they were warning the entire Rohingya population not to take any reprisal and if it happened, government would take punitive action. Maungdaw was under curfew backed by yet again by the brutal police force that was determined to crush any Muslim uprising with iron hand. Buddhist quarters in Maungdaw and adjoining areas were well guarded against any possible Muslims attack. Muslims from Maungdaw and Buthidaung are totally barred to travel to Akyab since tile anti - Muslim riot of Akyab.