Curfew imposed in Rakhine township amidst Rohingya terrorist attacks

Reported by Editorial Team Translated and Edited by Eleven Media

8 June 2012

Residents in Maungdaw Township of Rakhine State are now fleeing from the homes as Rohingya terrorists are setting fire to the houses.

Local people are requesting immediate security measures to control the attacks, according to the reports of residents.

Thousands of Rohingya have been carrying out arson attacks to the houses near town hall of Maungdaw starting from the today evening. About 200 policemen took security measures for the violence, and it is difficult to control the situation, a resident said.

3:50 PM

According to the reporting until 3:50 pm, Rohingya terrorists are setting fire to the Bohmu Village in Maungdaw Township. However, security forces have not fire on the terrorists.

When the Eleven Media telephoned the Rakhine State Police Office to ask about the latest arson attacks of Rohingyas, the responsible person replied that they had not get detail information.

Most of the phones in Maungdaw Township cannot be contacted at present.

4:15 PM

According the updated reports, 30 houses of Rakhine people in Bohmu Village of Maungdaw Township were burnt. Unidentified sources said 3 persons were killed in the incident.

“This is a terrorist attack. It cannot be neglected. Despite all the citizens have the rights of religious freedom, Rohingya people are not involved in 135 Myanmar national ethnics. According the 1982 Burma Citizenship Act, the nationalities who have settled in the country before 1824 are only regarded as the national ethnics. Migrants who infiltrated into the country after 1824 are not the local residents. Therefore, Rohingyas are not the national ethnics. As successive government officials favoured and issued them national registration cards by taking briberies, they are acting as the over-indulgent persons. Due to the control of Rakhine ethnics, they could not widely spread until now. The prevailing attacks mean insulting the hosts by the guests. This is a terrorist attack,” said a responsible person of Rakhine Ethnics Development Party.

Although the Eleven Media Group telephoned Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Zaw Kir Armat (a) U Aung Zaw Win to ask about these attacks, he cannot be contacted until now.

4:30 PM

Security forces are protecting 14-burnt Rakhine villages, according to Facebook of an officer in the Presidential Office.

4:40 PM

“I entirely condemn this terrorist attack. The concerned persons must rebuild the houses of victims in these arson attacks. The government should take legal action against these terrorists. We cannot accept anarchy. Religious and ethnical affairs were misused in these crimes. I want to suggest that the incident shows that the government needs to promulgate a firm and solid immigration law. Illegal migrants have negative impacts on the local citizens, and these infiltrations may fuel problems among the citizens. Moreover, a law should be enacted to protect all Arakanese people, not the Bengali there. There are multi-colored religions in Rakhine State. Therefore, I suggest the government to enact a law to protect the culture of Rakhine State” said Ko Mya Aye of the 88 Generation Students Group.

4:50 PM

According to the reporting of Maungdaw resident, a male died and a doctor was seriously injured in township hospital due to the attack. Security forces are taking place in the towns and the burnt Bohmu Village.

5:20 PM
The 88 Generation Students Group made a press release on 8 June evening on the arson attacks in Maungdaw Township.
During the press release, Ko Ko Gyi, one of the group leaders, said that Rohingyas are not Myanmar nationalities, that there may be some foreign incitements, that this incident may threaten the sovereignty of the State, that this is not the problem between the Islamists and the Buddhists.

5:30 PM

Security forces are ordered to shoot terrorists to control the situation.

5:45 PM

A police officer said the Eleven Media that crimes of violence continue in wards of Maungdaw until now, that 200 police forces are trying to control the situations and that they have informed the incident to the army.

6:30 PM

Rakhine people are now taking shelters in Buddhist monasteries from the attacks. There are about 10 Buddhist monasteries in Maungdaw and the local residents are protecting the monks.

At the moment, Bengalis are setting fire on Aung Bala Village in Maungdaw Township. There is no enough force to control the situation there. Despite the army has approached to the town, they have not entered yet.

6:35 PM

Police and army are taking security measures to save lives and to safeguard rule of law in Rakhine State, especially in Maungtaw, Buthidaung townships, etc., according to the Facebook of an officer from the Presidential Office.

7:40 PM

Clashes broke out between Rakhine people and Bengalis in Dat Village of Maungtaw Township at 6 pm, and the number of injured persons is yet to be known.

7:52 PM

A Buddhist monk in Maungdaw Township said that the sounds of gunshot are heard in the town and that Bengalis set fire on 17 Rakhine villages. They worried about Rakhine people who are living along the border area of Myanmar and Bangladesh.

7:58 PM

Three villages include Thayay Konebaung of southern Maungdaw Township were blazed, and the numbers of the dead and the injured persons are yet to be known, according to the resident.

8:16 PM

Authorities are discussing to issue the Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Curfew), according to a lawyer in Rakhine State.

8:40 PM

According to the report of Rakhine State Administration Office (Information), the security forces have successfully controlled the terrorist attacks in Maungdaw Townships. They announced that it is expected to prevent more serious situations. The Rakhine State Administration Office is based in Sittway Township and the situations are reported to them about in Maungdaw Township until 7 PM.

8: 54 PM

The township General Administration Department imposes a dusk-to-dawn curfew (Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code), the Facebook of an officer from the Presidential Office mentioned at 8:40 pm.

8:59 PM

According to the Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, it is not allowed to gather five or more than five persons along the streets of municipal area, public roads and streets, parks and mosques in Maungtaw Township, and no one is allowed to go outside between 18:00 pm and 06:00 am in the town, the officer’s Facebook stated at 8:46 pm.

The Facebook of the officer from the Presidential Office at 8: 35 said:

“According to the reports on arson attacks in Bohmu village in Maungdaw incident, the list of the dead and the injured are:
(1) Dr. Khin Maung Latt (Aged 63- stabbed at the belly)
(2) Daw Than Yi (Aged 57-hacked at the head)
(3) U Kyaw Hla (Aged 78-hacked at the head)
(4) U Thein Zaw (Aged 36-hacked at hands and legs)
(5) U Hla Maung (Aged 65-10 cuts at the head and little finger and died)
The injured persons were sent to Maungdaw Hospital, and another three persons died there.

9:00 PM

During the news programme of state-owned media broadcast at 8 pm, nothing was announced on Maungtaw incident. But it was informed that three criminals who committed rape, murder and robbery cases to a girl in Kyaukmawni Village of Rakhine State were taken to the court.

9:12 PM

State-owned media 9:05 pm aired the announcement of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (curfew) in Maungdaw Township.

9:30 PM

“The situations in Maungdaw Township are very serious. The problem should be solved by legal procedures. We do not accept anarchic actions. Security forces concerned should settle the problem systematically. We must control the situation not to spread. If the problem becomes bigger, it is possible to result in series of cases. I warned the possibility of problems in Maungdaw after the case of Sittway. These attacks would seriously threaten to Arakanese people not only in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, but also in some areas with minority of them. The government has responsibilities to calm down the worries of these people. In the future, the security of border area in Rakhine State should be taken by Rakhine people, and that of Shan State by Shan people. Paramilitary forces should be organized to safeguard the security of respective areas. The government should allow more security plans. We will also submit these plans to the parliament. If this incident is similar to massacre of 1942 which was intentionally plotted, the persons behind the curtain are responsible for the consequences. Security persons, international figures and religious leaders should not neglect the case. They should cooperate in solving this problem,” said Chairman Dr. Aye Maung of the Rakhine Ethnics Development Party said at 7 pm the Eleven Media Group in Sittway Township.

9:53 PM

A resident reported that arson attack is occurring at 9:45 pm in Sanpya Ward in Maungdaw Township, two sounds of gunshots were heard and flames are seen until now.

10:07 PM

A resident said at 10 pm that security forces are warning the Bengalis who are attempting to enter Maungdaw Township after setting fire on nearby villages.

10:17 PM

About 200 Bengali Rohingyas at 9:30 pm surrounded a police outpost in Khayay Mying Village of Maungdaw Village. They retreated back after the sounds of gunshots.

10:17 PM

The military forces are taking place in Maungdaw Township, a resident said at 10:15 PM. The locals are hiding themselves at the safety places.

10:29 PM

Bengalis in Bumal Village attacked the Mingan Village near Sittway University at 9:45 pm. Four Mingan villagers were injured and one was sent to Sittway hospital. The situation has calmed down as the security forces have arrived in.

Eleven Media Group