To better understand towards the Arakanese Rohingya plights of ethnic
cleansing, displacements, unavoidable migrations and consequences, the
occasions from 1784 up to year 2001 are compiled as follow.

(1)
1784-1824-
The 40 year Burmese tyrannical rule of Arakan:
1784- Burman King Bo
Daw invasion of Arakan took the lives of tens of
thousands of Arakaneses of all faiths were massacred.
Again in 1794-96, the revolution to over
throw Burman ruler resulted another massacred..
The both crises sent almost two-thirds of
both muslims and Buddhists about 200,000 people into Cittagong area, or today's
Cox's Bazzar in Bangladesh, which was then controlled by the British.
The Burman forces demolished mosques,
temples and shrines and stole the treasures of Arakan including the Mahamuni
statue. They conscripted and enslaved many, some of whom died out of fatigue
and hunger while the living ones were settled at other parts of Burma.
After British rule installed in 1824, some
of the both groups were able to return but it was largely happened in 1885-
after 80 years so. Those returnees were second or the third generations of
those fled in 1824 and 1796.
Would the both groups of Rohingyans and
Rakhines be considered as British brought migrants?
-----------------------------------------------
(2) 1942- Massacre:
During the British troops were retreating
to India, communal violence erupted in Arakan. Attacks were made against those
groups that had benefited from British colonial rule. Burman nationalists
attacked Karen and Indian communities, while in Arakan Rakhine and Rohingya
villagers attacked one another causing a displacement of Buddhist villagers to
the south and Muslims to the north.
The British handed over the power to
commissioner U Kyaw Khiang then ruled Martial Law. British soldiers left arms
reached to the hands of Rakhines and started massacred against Rohingyas. The
pogrom was instructed by the order of Arakan state Tha-khin leaders and
organized by Commissioner U Kyaw Khine.
·
On 28
March, the massacre started in Chinbili village of Minbya township and escapee
Rohingyas about 15,000 were slaughtered on their arrival to Thaungyi Nyo.
·
Again,
about 10,000 Rohingyas who passed Apawa were also killed in the same way.
·
On1st
April, 15,000 Rohingyas were killed in Raichaung and Pankha villages of Myebon
town.
·
It
continued to Kyauknimaw village of Rambree town but saved in miraculous way.
Rohingyas in Kyaukpyu were were given protection by British forces.
·
On 8th
April, continuously slaughtered in Kyauktaw, Mrohaung, Pauktaw and Rathidaung.
·
End of
April, onslaught swept over Rathidaung and Buthidaung and three fourths of
Rohingyas were killed.
·
In
Akyab, Rohingyas acquired arms and the conditions was both defensive and
offensive operation under leader Sultan Mohammad.
This campaign caused total 294 Rohingyas
villages destroyed, about 100,000 Rohingyas massacred and some 80,000 Rohingya
uprooted to Raungpur refugee camp of Bangladesh.
The
dead bodies of Rohingya children during 1942
The region remained
under the Japanese control until the British rule installed in 1945. Prior to
invasion, the British- seeking to bolster support for their forces had promised
to form the Rohingya autonomy in the northern Arakan. But it was not honored
except from assisting for returning of Rohingya refugees those refuged in East
Pakistan (present Bangladesh).
Would
these Rohingyas be again considered as infiltrators or British era settlers??
(3)1949- the Burma Territorial Force (BTF)
It was organized in 1949 to
suppress the Rohingyas. Most of BTF members were extremist Rakhine
people. The measures of BTF period and their brutality still shudders the
conscience of every living Rohingya till today. BTF unleashed a reign of terror
in North Arakan under the director of U Kyaw Oo, the firebrand Rakhine Deputy
Commissioner of Akyab district.
This pogrom escalated killing of hundreds
of people and burning several villages, thousands of Rohingyas were homeless
and nearly 50,000 had fled to the East Pakistan.
Maung Gri was the first commanding officer
in 1950; Capt Saw Hla Aung was replaced and then transferred them to Union
Military Police (UMP). There were many cases of rapes on innocent ladies were
taken outside of their homes and taken away for some days and returned later.
Even elderly women were not left untouched in the villages where the BTFs and
UMPs were moving.
1958-60 during the Ne Win’s Care Taker Government,
27 villages of Maungdaw northern side of
Arakan State were uprooted by army led by Bo Tin Kyaw and drove the villagers
into the then East Pakistan.
While in Shan state, martial Law was
declared and combating against indigenous civilians and Chinese ethnic armed
group.
Later, the government reached the
agreement to repatriate Rohigyas those fled into East Pakistan (present
Bangladesh) and India.
However, those did manage to return were
considered as illegal Pakistani immigrants. The properties and lands of all
these refugees have been confiscated. The immigration authorities imposed
limitations of movement upon all muslims from northern Arakan regions. And
Rakhines authority corporately with the government control many town through
Arakan.
Therefore an armed group of Rohingya led
by popular singer Jafar Hussain and his group did stand against the government.
Anyhow, it gained influenced against the central government thereupon the
government finally came to share- “equal opportunities such as recognition of their rights, some
governmental posts, airing Rohingya language via Burmese Broadcasting
Service-BBS, forming special ‘Mayu Frontier District’ consisting Maungdaw,
Buthidaung and some part of Rathedaung- directly administered by central
government”.
The government also severally announced
recognition of Rohingya through local Burmese newspaper.
Prime Minister U Nu and U Ba Swe,
announced, “The Rohingyas are equal in every way with other minority races like
the Shan, Kachin, Karen, Kayah. Mon and Rakhine. They have lived in Burma for
ages, according to historical facts. They are of Islamic faith. There is
historical evidence that they have lived faithfully and harmoniously with other
races of the Union.”
U Soe Shwe Thaike, the first President
of the Union of Burma also told, while he was in the highest office, that
“Rohingya is and indigenous race as he himself (a Shan) and there is no
different between Rohingya and Shan in the case of Nationality.”
Rohingyas participated in official
“Union Day” celebration of Burma’s racial groups in the Burmese capital
(Rangoon) every year.
However, all of those rights were
dismissed progressively since military coup Ne Win took over the power from
civilian government U Nu from 2nd March 1962.
Would
we back the Ne Win and Rohingyans be referred as Kalars or Foreigners???
(4) 1967-68- Ngazinka Operation:
The authority sent several ships to
Kyauktaw township and Rakhines were chanting to cleans kalars.
That began with slaughtering some Rohingyas
captured outside and looting properties and seizing lands.
The situation was not much worse but most
of them had experienced in 1942 and tended to escape by yachts and boats. Some
of them returned from Bangladesh after a year and some of the rest those
remained were travelled for other countries.
Confiscation:
·
Muslim
houses in Manaegya fara (market area) in the main area of the
town, were reduced slowly by replacing Rakhines, monasteries and expansion of
market lots from 1967.
·
Rungsu fara in
Dok-kan-chaung Rakhine village and Borgua fara in Boseingya village with mixed
of a few Hindu residents, were replaced with Rakhines in 1967. And many farming
lands in Dokkanchaung, Ambare, Boseingya villages were confiscated. Some half
of the Ambare lands were retained later after one of the villager appealed to
central administration.
Would
we call them illegal immigrants????
(5) In 1977-78- Nagamin Operation(King of Dragons):
The program
is a census operation to check immigration status and to take “actions
against who found to be foreigners”. The program was wide scope in Arakan and
it degenerated into brutal abuses followed by arbitrary prosecutions, violences
including rapes and vandalizing by both the army and local Rakhines.
·
On
Feb 6 of 1977, the operation introduced firstly in the biggest Rohingya village
Thakaybyin (Sakkipara) of Akyab and started mass arrests and
killings.
·
On
11 Feb, hundreds of Rohingyas from Akyab were loaded by ships and sank into
Akyab-bay.
·
On
March, it reached at Buthidaung and Maungdaw and started rappings, killings,
imprisonments.
·
In
Kyauktaw, several ships led by immigration authority landed to load Rohingyas.
Rohingyas resisted some how therefore some de-factor Rakhines collaborated with
authorities that caused about hundreds of Rohingyas deaths.
Within 3 months over 300,000 Rohingyas
crossed into Bangladesh where about 200,000 Rohingyas took shelter in makeshift
camps erected by Bangladeshi government.
Most of them about 200,000 Rohingyans were
forcefully repatriated after 9 months of arrival under the bilateral agreement
singed on 9 July 1978. Half of those remained in Bangladesh travelled for other
countries. The rest about 40,000 mostly women and children were died from
illness and severe malnutrition after rations were cut to compel them to leave
the refugee camps.
Because of bilateral agreement which did
not meet intl standard, Rohingyas had to languish again without land and
recognition of their status, as well as, various restrictions engaged upon
their return. They had been randomly settled within Maungdaw township and
desperately languished there.
Again in 1982, the government introduced new citizenship
act that strucked-off the Rohingya from citizenship and officially rendered as
stateless that based on the changes of Arakan & Arakanese to Rakhine in
1974. Further complexities are requirement of speaking national language and
evidence of residing in Arakan prior to 1823 (before British Intervention).
At the time no Burmese had citizenship
IDs so who else had such prove? Not speaking Burmese language which prescribed
as national language from 1984- would be disqualified from citizenship? Only
evidences are ancestral lands and historical existences but they were also
confiscated and demolished and then officially registration was banned for
Rohingya in the ahead of such Laws changes?
By 1983, Gwa, Taungup, Tandwe and Ponnagyuan townships defined as
muslim-free-zones by the government. It is tantamount to official killing license offering to Rakhines. Since then, muslims
those captured in these regions are judged by Rakhine people. In this manner,
hundred of muslims those found and captured in these regions were took over by
Rakhine people and brutally killed.
Confiscation and Destructions: There were many villages and lands
confiscated. A few of those escalated are as below.
·
An
ancient shrine Buddar Mukan (Bodumuhun) mosque situated near
Akyab/Sittwe Point and ancient Baziaraa mosque situated the southern part of
Akyab/Sittwe Lake (Kandawgyi), were confiscated and authority and monks are trying to change the mosque to monastery by painting yellow colour and putting
idols, placing the images of their Gods and building small temples.
·
Rohingya
farming lands from today call Ye
new Su (Derum fara) of Akyab/Sittwe town,
were confiscated in 1978 and replaced with Police
Residential Area from later
of 1990.
·
Sangadaung village of Kyauktaw town, was demolished
in 1976 and replaced with the Sugar
Mill in 1982 that is the only
Sugar Mill for western Burma. The villagers were relocated to Falom fara.
·
Again
in 1995, both new settlers of Sangadaung and the villagers of Falom fara were forcefully removed to 7 miles farer area. But, all
villagers came back and settled near by the edge of the old Falom-fara village.
·
Maung
Tha Gon (Rwa Handaa Fara) village
including ancient Musa Pali
mosque of Mrauk Oo town, were
demolished in about 1983. The villagers were relocated in Kan Paw village and their lands were used for model village of
Rakhines and military purposes.
(Stone
stucture Majah Pali (a) Musa Pali Mosque, built in1513-1515)
The
Rohingyas were rendered as stateless by regime's draconian citizenship act then
would we join with the demon regime and call them Bengali foreigners?????
(6) Pyi Tha Ya Operation in 1991:
Rohingya who had fled to Bangladesh were
the first to report a dramatic increase in the number of soldiers being posted
to northern Arakan state and up-surged
inhumane abuses of executions, rapes,
tortures and prosecutions including forced labour to build barracks and bamboo fences, new roads and
bridges, dig environmental ponds and scout sentinel.
The biggest Rohingya village Sakkipara/Thatkaybyin of Sittwe/Akyab, was demolished as a
ahead of operation..
Along the operation, hundred of model village settlements had been located on the lands of
Rohingyas in all over Northern Arakan state and the rest dozens were located in
Southern Arakan from 1991..
In May 1991, the first of some 100,000
Rohingya refugees had arrived in Bangladesh and the numbers raised at total
270,00 by March 1992, and increased as total 268,000 in the middle of 1992 and
hosted in 20 refugee camps. Most of them were from Maungdaw, Buthidaung,
Rathidaung and Akyab towns.
After bilateral agreement was signed
between GoM and GoB, forceful deportation started with the title of
repatriation from 1992 September regardless of the refugees' dignity, rights
and recognition guarantee.
The first group of 15,000 Rohingyans
repatriated by Dec 1992 and dozens were killed for military unit's harshly
intervention in deportation.
On the second time, UNHCR achieved
agreement with GoB and repatriated 35,000 Rohingyans by Nov 1993 that enabled
to close 3 camps.
Despite repatriated refugees turned back
to Bangladesh, UNHCR upheld similar task and directly made agreement with GoM
in order to repatriate large scale of remaining 190,000 Rohingya refugees with
the date line- Dec 1995 and proclaimed that the situation in Arakan is
conductive to return. As well as, Relief operations were suspended to compel
refugees to leave the camps.
Most of repatriated Rohingya refugees
turned back the second time into Bangladesh but they didn't approach refugee
camp for fear of similar forceful deportation..
Deportations were continued up to 1998 and
reached in aggressive in some points. In the mid July 1997, a group of 350
refugees mostly women and children were rounded up midnight and deported under
gun-points.
That made Refugees themselves had to set
up strong community in order to avoid forceful deportation. Finally by Oct
1998, Bangladesh security forces took over control of refugee camp and arrested
all acting Rohingya leaders who were defending from disposing refugees into
danger. Many of whom remain
in the prison today.
By March 1998, another 64 group of
Rohingyans were jailed with the charges of arming weapons after reported 'armed
refugee militants in the refugee camp'.
A memorandum submission of the All Burma
Democratic Force-ABDF at Bangladesh embassy in KL- Malaysia on 14 Jan 2009,
raised concern regarding those Rohingya prisoners. However, no attention has
been paid.
From 1992 in Northern Arakan, Rophingyas
were compelled to accept white colour “Temporary Registration Cards-TRCs”, locally known as
"white cards"- that
written Bengali race and that acquired to attain Travelling Permit form(4) for travelling purpose, even village to village. This was
nothing but a design to degrade their national status and put them in a state
of uncertainty.
Coercion reports of huge payment for
attaining travelling permit, taxation in at least eight gates for one way to
Sittwe from Maungdaw, arbitrary punishment and fine in case failed to report on
time and extortion, were uncountable. Upon arrival in other town, needing again
to report at 12 quarters..
17 Nov 1994, there was a communal violence in Akyab,
in which at least 2 Rohingyas were killed, one of them was a pregnant woman and
several others were wounded.
In 1994, about 4,000 young Rohingyas from all over Maungdaw and
Buthidaung towns were taken away by military intelligence under the command of
former Gen. Khin Nyunt- the Secretary (1) and all of them were killed in cool
blood. No one has ever returned to his families, even where about dead bodies
were not known.
Home Minister’s verdict (1996): Lt. Gen. Mya Thinn, Home Minister, recalled the Muslims population
of Rakhine State was not recognized as citizen of Myanmar under the existing
naturalization regulations and they were not even registered as so-called
foreign residents.
Consequently, the Minister added, their
status situation did not permit them to travel in the country---They are also
not allowed to serve in the state positions and are barred from attending
higher educational institution quoted by Special Rapporteur Professor Yozu
Yokota.( Feb.1996).
The quotations of former chief of military
intelligence, U Aung Lin
Tun who takes refuges in USA
in July 2011, had already quoted about the general Than Shwe's directl
instruction to the Secretary-3(general Win Myint) to execute Rohingyans in
once. Four grandsons of Maung Kyaw Nu, leader of Burmese Rohingya Association
in Thailand were among the deaths.
In Mrauk Oo and Minbya townships the SLORC
troops had uprooted the Rohingya villages.
In 1992, Aung Daine village and Nyung
Pin Zay village near by jetty
and selectively Rohingya houses from Shit Taung
including Shwedah Qazi Mosque, were demolished. The villagers were removed to Kwan Lon (Kha-wa-lon@Mandarabyin) village. And the places were replaced
with Electric Station and barricades.
By July 1994, of Nala Fara of Minbya township and Min Thara Pyin, Aa-Lae-Zay@Shwe Gu Daung , Ponna Mraung
villages of Mrauk-U township, were demolished by Military forces-540.
Nala Fara villagers were firstly sent to
Maungdaw town and secondly others. In this manner, about
10,000 Rohingyas of these villagers were
brought to Maungdaw township. Mr Dil Mamad now living in Darwin town of NT,
Austrlaia, was one of the victims.
Rohingya villagers from Kyauktaw town had
been ordered to quit their villages since then. Thousands of them were herded
into boat and carried to Maungdaw north and south starting a fresh drive to
Bangladesh.
From 4 Jan 1995, the government authority
forced to relocate Rohingya villages of Paiktay (Fishing village). When Rohingya refused to move, police and military forces were
heavily deployed and several ships were landed to load the villagers. Such
occasions were recurred again and again and many Rohingya were also detained.
A well respected Rohingya leader who
defended in every occasion is now taking now taking refuge in Malaysia.
1996-97 Refugees influx:
In 1996, the UNHCR estimated that 5,500 Rohingyas have fled to
Bangladesh while other relief agencies said there might be 10,000. They fled
because of forced labour, lack of freedom of movement, and the forcible
disappearance of family members were the main cause of leaving Burma.
In 1997, about 10,000 to 20,000 Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh
because of increased of forced labour, heavy taxation and some instances of
rape. Both of the refugee influxes did not get refugee status from Bangladesh
government nor UNHCR. So, they have been living in rural area of Bangladesh,
particularly in Cox’s Bazar District.
In early 1998 in Sittwe, a sectarian attack was sparked from
confrontation between Rohingya and Rakhine students in a tea shop of Minbargyi
Road. Despite the fight was over, the street people Rakhines gangly came to
attack the village at nights. Rohingya people were came out and resisted
against Rakhines. The attacks were continued nearly a week and both sides
suffered injuries but the news of Rahkhines hurt was spilled across the town
when Rohingyas can not lodge a report.
As demand made by Rakhine community,
Police authority of No(1) Polcie station started arresting of Rohingyas who
ever found during the night around Ambarlar. At least hundred of Rohingya
youths were arrested and released by ransom payment after tortured days to
weeks. Poor Rohingyas those unable to made payment were asked to finger
rich-man Rohingya and released after weeks of detention.
The Akyab Massacre in 2001: The genocidal rampage was started on 4 Feb 2001 in Akyab/Sittwe,
the capital of Arakan State, at the very presence of military personnel and
police.
The monk U Pinya Zyara
who entered lately from Bangladesh was organizer for this riot.
In the riots, some Rohingyas were killed
and wounded. And some houses, shops and hotels owned by Rohingya were burnt
down into aches by the unruly Buddhist mob. 4 houses from down town Ambarlar (Aungmingala area) including Ali Hussein's house and 21
houses from Nazi village were burnt down.
Police and soldiers reportedly stood-by
and did nothing to stop the violence initially. It was several hours before
they intervened. None of those Rakhine perpetrator was arrested. Instead,
police authority arrested about hundred of Rohingya youths including acting
leaders.
Those burnt down lannds in Nazi village were seized and replaced with new Enterprises and the
villagers were relocated in Santole and new Thatkaybyin villages. A month later, the monk U Pinya Zyara was imprisoned but
released shortly after one year.
Rohingyas from Maungdaw and Buthidaung
townships are totally barred to travel to Akyab since the riots. Later,
Rohingya Muslims from other townships of Arakan State are not allowed to travel
to Akyab.
In 2007, some thousands of Rohingyans from
Northern Arakan-NRS had been issued 'Temporary Registration Certificate-TRC by immigration authority with involvement
of UNHCR, regardless of ethnic identity and dignity because the measure was
only to tackle to reduce statelessness. TRCs issuing started again from
September 2009.
Since the white cards issuing had been
largely succeeded in NRS, it came to introduced at the Southern Arakan-SRS and
many acting Rohingya leaders from both Southern and Northern Arakan were
detained for refusing it.
In Kyaukatw, the unlawful order was
instantly released by Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) authority, U Aung Kyaw Oo followed by departments of Immigration, Police, Municipal
and Local groups for urgent relocation of the Fishing village (Paiketay Yat) as a result of their refusal to accept
Temporary Registration Card or Foreigner Censorship Card.
The first protest groups of 30 Rohingya
villagers are detained in Police custody of Kyauktaw Township on 7 October
2009.
Confiscation, Destructions and Model Village
Settlements:
There were many villages demolished, many
lands confiscated and hundreds of model villages of Rakhines were relocated on
the lands of Rohingya in all over Arakan and most of them can be seen in
Northern Arakan-NRS. In 2004 alone, about 40 model villages were built on
Rohingya people lands in Northern Arakan. According to Mr Mamad, former senior
staff of WFP for Buthidaung town, the total number of model village settlements
could be about 80 in Maungdaw town and about 20 in Buthidaung town. A few of
those escalated except from Northern Arakan-NRS are as below.
In Sittwe town;
1.
The
old Thatkaybyin (Sakki
Fara) village demolished in a
ahead of Pyitaryar Operation-1991 when Win Myint promoted as a Rakhine state
command-commander who later became the third secretary of Burma and died in an
accident in Mawlamyine. The village was replaced with Military Missile Force, (818)-Military Camp,
Military Communication Camp(4) and Training Field.
2.
The
old Santole<
...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comment will be approved soon and your email will not be published.. thanks..