Buthidaung court convicts more Rohingya for Maungdaw riots

Source Kaladanpress, 4 Nov

 

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Buthidaung court has convicted 69 Rohingyas sentencing to 5-2 year prison terms last week of October, Halim (not real name), a human rights watchdog from Maungdaw said.

Those convicted were arrested after the violence of June 2012, in Maungdaw Township, with allegation of listed in so-called warrant list issued from Maungdaw court by requested of Maungdaw Township and district admin officers, police officers, Halim more added. "They were severely tortured and kept in Buthidaung jail without inadequate food and other facilities after arrested."

Muslim men and boys were allegedly arbitrarily detained in Buthidaung prison, were subjected to three months of systematic torture and ill-treatment by prison guards and up to 20 prison inmates, who appear to have been brought into the prison for the specific purpose of administering beatings to Muslim prisoners, according to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights report in Myanmar dated September 23, 2013, reference number A/68/297.

The Special Rapporteur, Tomás Ojea Quintana, received a large number of prisoners in Buthidaung prison, including children, older persons and the sick, were transferred from the prison to other locations in Maungdaw Township just before his visit. He therefore reiterates the importance of independent monitoring mechanisms that have regular access to all places of detention, including through unannounced visits, in addition to a mandate to make recommendations to the prison authorities on improving the treatment and conditions of persons in detention, the report said.

The convicted Rohingya have been keeping without trail and jail terms, after releasing report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the authority started to convict them. But, the report was also rejected by the human rights commission of the Burma government, said Mohamed Anoo (Not real name), a teacher from Maungdaw.

Those convicted Rohingya are 68 males sentencing to 5 year prison terms and one female from Bomu village of Maungdaw municipal, sentenced to 2 year, Anoo said.

All the convicted Rohingya are mostly from Maungdaw Township – block 5, block 2, block 4, Maungni village, Myoma Kyandan and Shwezar village, Anoo more added.

On the same day, Buthidaung court released 5 Rohingyas, Anoo said.

The government has made the Rohingya community pay the biggest price for the unrest. Since last year many have been locked in their villages or squalid camps, their movements severely restricted. An emergency act that has been in effect since last year outlaws the gathering of more than five persons yet this has largely not been applied to the Rakhine community.

According to official government data, 1,189 people have been detained by authorities. Out of this only 260 were Buddhist Rakhines.