Special Video Interview with Rohingyas from Refugee Camp, Arakan- Burma (2)August-17-12 3:15 PM

Special Video Interview with Rohingyas from Refugee Camp, Arakan- Burma (2)August-17-12 3:15 PM

Interview with Rohingya Part-1

A: Interviewer B: interviewee (one couple)
B: Regarding to the criminal case from Kyaut Ni Maw (the place where Rakhine Buddhist “Ma Thi Dar Htway” was raped and killed. This is the source that ignite this Rohingya Genocide). The Rakhine sparked this riot saying that you Muslim did such a bad thing to us. Actually, we have been living here since our ancestry. There were no Rakhine here at that time. All places are belonging to Muslim. The Rakhine immigrated here bit by bit later.The Muslim have been discriminated and suppressed so that they moved to Yangon and foreign (for their better life). This village is called Rohingya para by Muslim terms and we can call Zay Haung Maw Late for the whole village generally. This Zay Haung Maw Late village can be divided by the three wards of Kyaung Tan Lan, Yuu Pa Taung and Maw Late. There were 120 Muslim homes but they sold out theirs homes to Rakhine and moved out to the safer and better place as there are such suppression and discrimination. Frequently, if there were some problems, they made huge suppression towards us, minority Muslim. By the time this riot was began to broken out, we gave hundred calls to the police station and polices asked us who were marching to your villages who were making problem and noise, whether Muslim or Rakhine. When we answered that they were Rakhine and the police said that “Ok, then, it’s not important and no problem” and ended the phone conversation. There are so many cases like that in the past. It has been 4 times that they committed such violence to us when in 1985, 2000, 2004 and 2012 respectively. This 2012 riot is the most inhumane case. We assumed that this 2012 case is like the same case in the year mentioned above so that we didn’t go out and we remained inside of our homes when the violence was blasted. If we would know that this is such a critical crisis, we would run away and moved out from this place in advance. And why we still remained inside our home is there is a Mosque in our village and we don’t want to go away parting from this Mosque. And I m not so much in desperate on what people lost theirs homes and prosperities but I am very much in miss our Mosque and our Holy Quran which were burnt and destroyed.
A: I heard that they are injures case currently? B: Yes, in my family, 5 people got injured. My 3 children are living in The Chaung (Refugee camp) currently and another one is in the other place. Here my head got injured as well. (The interviewee is showing his head). The person who is familiar with us in our village did not beat us but the person who is not familiar beat us. They are from our village too. They beat us saying that “U Muslim beat and kill our Rakhine in Maung Daw”. On 10th Jun, 2012 at 8:00 AM, they were throwing stones onto our Mosque severely. There were so many Rakhine who threw the stones harshly. The involvers are Ya.Wa.Ta (Authority), the employer Saw Win Kyaw and groups from Sein Video and how the authorized person U Hla Wai from Kyaung Tan Lan told to Rakhine is “don’t burn, don’t blast fire. Do what ever except theirs death”. Why he asked not to set fire is Rakhine homes and Muslim homes are near each other and they were afraid of theirs houses would be on fire too. Previously, there were 120 Muslim homes in our village of Zay Haung Maw Late but now only 36 were left as the rest sold out theirs home (to shift to safer place). Around 10:30 or 11:00 , I heard with my ears that the business man who live near to AZG made conversation with the Authorized person U Hla Wai from Kyaung Tan Lan ( when the riot is on going) to separate and to control the groups of Rakhine and Muslim such as he will control the Muslim and he want U Hal Wai to control the Rakhine. But he did not do instead he run away and was hiding in his homes. And this U Hla Wai did not speak out upon such violence towards us by Rakhine. We were hiding in our home to avoid this stones throwing by Rakhine. But, they push theirs knives into our home from every corners so that we family kept ourselves to station at the center of homes not to catch up by Rakhines knives. And our one window leave was opened and one guy said “Aunty, I m not involve in this riot, but my friends are”. So, we jumped out from another very high window and we assembled at that place. But they tied our children’s body saying that we would not do anything and looked for my husband. They threatened me that if my husband would not come out from home, they would search inside and if they would find they would kill him then. (Husband) So I came out leaving the two old women in home. Once they saw me they started to beat me with steel rod. Here is the effected arm resulted from this beating (the man is showing the injuries) I can’t straight my hand, need to bend like this all the time and now I m feeling dizzy always. The violence was sparked in this way, at 8:00 Am, they did throw stones and arrested every body to beat the head. They beat only head.

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Interview with Rohingya Part-2

A: Interviewer
B: interviewee (one couple)

B: And they brought us along with them saying that “you are required to send to police station”. When we reach to Yat Kwat Sone (Sone Ward), where there are a lot of Rakhine, almost all are Buddhist. So we though that we/our lives are going to be finish. My family except my two sons Saw Moe Kyaw and Saw Hein kyaw were brought to this ward. So we family were reciting the kalaymar (Muslim recite this verse when they are nearly to die). My son Saw Hein Kyaw was beaten with steel rod and he currently he is suffering dizzy, can’t move his body, if he do dizzy is starting to give trouble him. He is not getting remedying. We are not getting any surgery also. One thing we were lucky at that time is, we were asked to sit near to one stream where one women and one from one car shouted to the Rakhine croed who brought us here that “why you are keeping all these people, just finish all. They are finishing our Rakhine in Maung Daw.” But, one Rakhine boy who is my customer, used to buy tea from my shop replied that “how can we beat all this crowd” and send us to the police station. This is real process. On the way to police station, one old person aged 50 beat me with small steel plate that resulted major injury here in forehead. (Showing her forehead). We were very much afraid of this Buddhist crowd. Some are familiar with us, some immigrated here not too long. They are familiar with us so they didn’t beat us. There are also some Chinese, so we thought that they are not beating us because other are also existed at the site. Then we reached to the police station. When we reached there, police office said ‘Don’t you know that it will happen like that? Why you all are not staying away from your houses?’, then I answered, how do we know that and it was never happened before. Then inspector of the station took picture of both of us. Then they sent those injured people to the hospital using the police van. When reach to hospital, the treated us nicely. Dr. Thein Htay Aung treated my wound. Then a Rakhine Man, U Nay Win, gave us a meal, food and tea. It happened on Sunday, and on Tuesday, we are dismissed from hospital. There are only one officer following our vehicle and left all of us.
A: Where did they leave you?B: They left us near ‘Thel Chaung’.
A: So it is very far?B: Yes, we have to walk by ourselves to reach here. There are a man called Sunny who is from our village had left at the hospital. That man came to the hospital during evening time while we are fainted.
A: That Sunny is also from the village where your brother who had killed?B: Yes, my own brother was killed and a child too. They don’t let us to be alone. If they see us alone, they will not let us escaped and kill us. There are three people died immediately on 10 June. My younger brother, my sister’s son-in-law and my cousin brother. Sunny died on hospital. And Kyaw Zin Htoo who dismissed hospital with me on 12 June passed away on 18 June here.
A: Do you willing to stay back at your own place where conflict was happened?B: Yes we have to go back to our own place. Where else can we go? This (Myanma) is our birthplace. My parents were Burmese citizens with proper national ID cards. We were all born here. What is our crime? We are being persecuted simply because we are Muslims here in Rakhine State.

8/17/2012Translated by snowy (RB Team)

Special Video Interview with Rohingyas from Refugee Camp, Arakan- Burma (1)August-18-12 1:25 AM

A: Interviewer
B: interviewee

A: You reached here (means camp) so did they (Extremist Rakhine Buddhist, arm-forced) keep your home as it is?

B: They burnt all. They have burnt all. They burnt our Mosque which had been build by British period but not by us. But they don’t know. They arrested Lawyer U Kyaw Hla Aung. Who worked in (AZG).A: Did they burn your home after you had arrived here or?
B: They burnt all, they destroyed all.

A: So how you get food to live here?
B: They gave us a few rations. We have to rely on this if not from where do we get and who will offer food to us?

A: I have heard of it that Muslim were burning their homes and running away.
B: They pretended to be Muslim wearing Muslim attire and they burnt all. The arm-forced were around. Me myself told them not to burn and kill us brutally but kill us all simply.

8/17/2012
Translated by snowy (RB Team)
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Rohingya Business man story

A: InterviewerB: Interviewee (Rohingay business man and his wife)
A: May I know your name please?B: My name is U Tin Shwe.
A: Where do you live place?B: I am from Myo Thu Gee village/ward.
A: when did this riot break out in Myo Thu Gee?B: It’s on 10.6.12 at 12:00.
A: Can you tell me please about this violence?B: There were Monks, the village heads who threw with broken bricks to us. The crowd was made up of almost 3000 people. This crowd surrounded our home and threw with stone after that they invaded into our home and looted all of our properties by cars collaborating with monks and Rakhine. Then, they went upstairs and when they found my wife they attacked her with spears and set fire on her and robbed gold. (She got major injury). They were not satisfied after getting gold and did slaughter to her head with knife. (The couple is showing theirs wounds).
A: Can you show me your wound please?B: Here this is when they attacked with spears.
A: Oh! It penetrated your arm on the spot.B: Yes yes. It did. Here is the wound of fire on my hand. Here is the wound on my head resulted from being beaten with steel rod.
A: How about you, brother?B: Its here (showing his hand). This is effect from being slaughted by knife. They slaughtered my mom and my aunt’s body into two pieces.
A: And?B: They pulled out them from upstairs to the ground and did slaughter to make two pieces. This crowd did. So both of my mom and aunt died. I have two twins (son). One was attacked at the eyes and the other was slaughtered on the head. My neighbor slaughtered him at the head making into two pieces horizontally. He was brought to the hospital with me, He did not die. But the police kill him with spears. He was brought to no.1 police station. (a hmat tit). He was asked that whose son was he. And when they (police and the crowd) know he is Musar’s son (my son), they beat him to death accusing him that he is Musar’s son who set fire. They killed him.
A: So, you were accused of setting fire?B: Yes.yes. But I did not do it.
A: So why did they to did like that is Muslim set fire, is it?B: No No. We Muslim did not do it. In this village, there are only 3 Muslim homes. My home is the amidst of Rakhine’s. In my homes, our relative and neighbors were hiding at the mezzanine. But they pulled out every body and kill them with various weapons such as knives, rods and spears. When security forces reached, they (the crowd) were keeping killing to us in front of them. But, army helped us once they reach. They brought us to hospital.
A: So I want to ask you a question. They did beat you in front of security forces and police, is it?B: Yes, yes. In front of security forces. First, we were calm down and did not do anything as this forces arrived. So we left our gold and money and bags as it is because securities were around.
A: So, was this violence in front of police and securities?B: Yes yes, in front of them. The crowd beat us with knives. Our neighbors guided the persons from other villages who beat us and robbed. The chairman of our ward “U Ngwe Kyaw” himself involved in this case. Still now, we can show our neighbors now who was involved. They took all of our properties with cars. U can ask every body. I do business with the person from Yangon.
A: Let’s say, if the situation would be better and become cool, oh I noted that you had shop right?B: Now it has been destroyed and demolished. We have 4 shops. All the properties from shops had been occupied by them. When we were hospitalized, the village head himself informed this mob who came to hospital long sward to kill us. So we had to live in the dark room of the hospital.
A: Dark room in the hospital?B: Of course. We had to live. They came along with sword to finish all of our family. They intended to kill us. But we did not die. The doctor U Thane Htun Aung said why you brought this kalar (blacky) here, why you have not finished them. They told it into English language because we understand both Rakhine and Myanmar language.
A: Let’s say, if the situation would be better and become cool, do you have a will to live in your home again and to open your shops?B: If we would live again, according to condition we do not think it will be ok. They will loot our properties again. Only 3 Muslim homes are here in the amides of Rakhine.
8/18/2012
Translated by snowy (RB Team)

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Rohingya Old woman Interview

Q: Interviewer
A: interviewee

Q: Where are you from? A: From Zay-Haung Maw-Late (Old-market Maw-Late) village

Q: The houses are destroyed by putting fire? A: No, it houses were not destroyed by fire, they demolished them. Totally demolished.
Q: Those men came to demolish houses are from same village (ward) or from other villages. A: The people are from same villages and from others also.
Q: Is there any police accompany the crowd? A: No. there are no police.
Q: So those people who demolish houses asked you to get out from your houses? A: Yes, they asked us to get out from our houses. They brought knives and spears. We are not even allowed to take our slippers. They said we are not deserved to put on our slippers. They just immediately forced us out from our houses.
Q: Did they said such word in front of your houses? A: Yes, in front of our houses, and we are sitting on the road. And they drag us to nearest camp. While we are at the camp, some said they are going take a list of us, and some said "no need to take list of them" and forced us to board on police vehicle (usually dispatch the criminals). All the children are crying and finally they dropped us near Aung Min Ga Lar Township and forced us to go inside. They said we have to go inside that township and stayed there. This is our place they continued.
Q: So how you came out from Aung Min Ga Lar Township? A: Once we get to the township, U Shwe Hla Aung family help us food and we overnight there for one night. Next day another family from township call us to stay with them. And after that we heard Nazi Village was burning and so many Rakhine people marching in and set fire on "Democracy Market". The fire burning too high and it was about to reach to our place, it already reached near the school, people are running here and there, finally the owner of the big house called all the villagers to take refuge at his house. And finally police and military come to fight fire. Once there is no fire. We moved to another house to take refuge. We stay there about ten days, but we feel not safe. Even at night we heard that some place were set fire. So we asked help from security guards and took a vehicle to move here.
Q: We heard that Muslims were setting fire on their own houses. A: No, how can you set fire on your own houses. There are some Hindus and Marr-mar who look like Muslims and they asked them to set fire. There are so many well-planned cases involved.

8/18/2012
Translated by snowy (RB Team)