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:-
- Kaloo (a) U Win Myint, the Vice-President of Maungdaw Township NLD (National League of Democracy)
U Ba Tun (a) Noor Mohamed, a Geologist S/o Ali Hussein, a retired Police Officer, Fayazi Para Maungdaw.
- Rashid S/o Khalil, Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
- Norul Haque S/o - Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
- Noor Hussein S/o Abdul Amin, Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
- Mohamed Rafique /S/o Mlv Mohd. Amin, Seikderpara, Maungdaw.
- Shukkur S/o Kasim, Karipara, Maungdaw, a Head Clerk of Maungdaw TLORC.
- Mohamed Eliyas S/o HajeAhmedul Rahman, Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
- Mohamed Ullah S/o Kaseern Ali, Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
- Fazal Ahmed S/o -- Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
- Yasin S/o Fayas Ahmed, Fayazipara, Maungdaw.
- Hafez Hakim S/o Shafu Mistri, Zantula, Maunzdaw.
- Habibur Rahman S/o Molovi S iddique, G:dusara, Maungdaw.
- Nayeem (a) Shew Htoon, S/o U ChlitMaung (NLD President of Buthidaung Township).
- Amir Hakim S/o Ahmed Meah, Taungbazar, Buthidaung.
- Jamal Hussein S/o Nazir Hussein, Shewza, Maungdaw.
- Moulana Deen Mohammed, Sabrang, Buthidaung.
- Mohammed Ayub and his son, Sabrang, Buthidaung.
- Mohammed Anwar S/o Abu Bakker, Sabrang, Buthidaung.
Moulana Mohammed Ali S/o Hajee Ashrof Ali Inden's Madarasa's Principal.
Hafez Mohamed Rafique S/o Mohammed Islam, Nganchaung Village, Maungdaw.
- Moulana Habibur Rahman, Mayrulla para, Maumgdaw.
- Mohammed Jamil S/o Abdul Razaak, Nganchaung village, Maungdaw.
- Mohammed Yahaya S/o Master Shafi Ullah, Nganchaung village, Maungdaw.
- Hafez Mohamed Ulla S/o Master Mustafiz, Nganchaung village, Maungdaw.
- Saleh Ahmed S/o Bukunia, Fawkhali, Maungdaw.
- Sha Alom S/o Sharit Ullah, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
- Kaseem S/o Sultan, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
- Sayed Alom S/o Sur Mohammed, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
- Bashir Ahmed S/o Khalil, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
- Noor Mohamed S/o Mohamed Hussein, Myothugyi, Maungdaw.
- Abdullah S/o Abdul Salam, Myothugyi. Maungdaw.
Source : Human Rights Abuses and Discrimination on Rohingyas 2003
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