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.