The Stateless Rohingya Blog

By DVB And REUTERS February 20, 2014 The human rights situation in Burma has improved, UN envoy Tomás Ojea Quintana said at Yangon Airport on Wednesday, speaking at a press conference that concluded a six-day visit to the country and also marked the end of his six-year mandate as the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the country. However, the Argentine diplomat criticised the Burmese government’s handling of the Rohingya crisis in Arakan State and said he has serious concerns over the impartiality of a government investigation into an alleged massacre of 48 Muslims in the village of Duchira Dan in Muangdaw Township between 9 and 13 January. Quintana noted that Burma had made strides in releasing prisoners of conscience, opening space for freedom of expression, the development of political freedom, and “important progress” in bringing an end to conflict with ethnic armed groups. But he called for a “change of mindset” within all levels of government to ...

Maungdaw officials show observers the site where, they say, the uniform, boots and overcoat of Pol. Sergeant Aung Kyaw Thein were discovered. (PHOTO: President's Office) By  Colin  Hinshelwood Democratic Voice of Burma January 29, 2014  Burmese President Thein Sein has ordered an independent investigation into allegedly fatal incidents which occurred in the village of Duchira Dan [also written Du Char Yar Tan] in Maungdaw Township, northern Arakan State, on 13 January. Speaking at a diplomatic briefing in Rangoon on Tuesday evening, Burma’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said the presidential order for an independent investigation team into the alleged killings would include separate probes and field trips by: the Central Committee for Peace Stability and Development of Rakhine [Arakan] State; the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission; and the Rakhine Conflict Investigation Commission. The appointment of Burma-based teams to the Maungdaw inquiry would a...

M.S. Anwar | November 23, 2013 Rvisiontv.com Maungdaw, Arakan: Maungdaw Municipal Market was set ablaze at around 7PM today (i.e. 23rd November 2013) and is still burni ng. Most of the shops at the market are owned by Muslims, whereas only three to four are owned by Rakhines. Many shops are said to have been burnt down and the remaining shops are being looted by Rakhine extremists. “The muinicipal market at the downtown of Maungdaw caught fire at around 7PM today. Something unexpected had happened just before that. Government supplies electricity from 6:30PM to 11PM. But today, the electrictity came at 6:30PM as per schedule. And power was taken out some ten minutes after that. And the downtown sudddenly became totally dark. Soon after, the shops at the market caught fire. The fire started at the western-part of the market and later spread to the other parts. The western part of the market is facing a Rakhine village called “Dak-Rwa” under Quarter 1 of Maungdaw. H...

KPN October 29, 2013 Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Surveillance police officer hijacked a Rohingya in front of public from village market on September 27, said Hashim (not real name) from Myoma Khayoungdan village, Maungdaw.  Surveillance police officer U Toe Toe from Maungdaw police station arrested Anwer - a shopkeeper from Myoma Khayoungdan village market – with so called arrested warrant of 2012 for involvement of riot, said Hashim. The surveillance police officer asked Anwer to follow to police station for investigation, but the police officer kept him at his home not in the Maungdaw police station, said an aide of police not to mention his name. The police officer asked Anwer to pay 500000 kyats for release, otherwise he will send Anwer to police station for further investigation where he will be tortured, said the aide. When relative of Anwer visited to Maungdaw police station, they didn’t find Anwer in the custody and onduty officer said no case was...

At Kawng Dok Ka camp near Sittwe, Rohingya mother Amina Katu, 25, cradles her five-day-old baby, who had not yet been given a name. (Photo: Vincenzo Floramo / The Irrawaddy) By ROBIN McDOWELL  Associated Press October 15, 2013 MAUNGDAW, Myanmar (AP) — The 10-year-old struggles up the hill, carrying buckets filled with rocks. Though he tries to keep a brave face in front of his friends, his eyes brim with tears. Every inch of his body aches, he says, and he feels sick and dizzy from the weight. "I hate it," whispers Anwar Sardad. He has to help support his family, but he wishes there was a way other than working for the government construction agency. He adds, "I wouldn't have to live this life if I wasn't a Muslim." The lives of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children like Anwar are growing more hopeless in Myanmar, even as the predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million wins praise for ending decades of dictatorship. --- ED...

Report by Sindhi Khan | Written by M.S. Anwar RvisionTV.com Maung Daw, Arakan- October 1, 2013 President Thein Sein travelled to Arakan state on Tuesday morning but his trip to Sandoway was postponed because of continued violence in the streets. (PHOTO: Ye Htut FB) President of Myanmar Pseudo Civilian Government, U Thein Sein, was on his visit to Arakan yesterday. He arrived in Maung Daw by helicopter around 2PM on 1st October 2013. Earlier, he had visited Sittwe, Pauktaw and other townships. As soon as he arrived in Maung Daw, he looked around the downtown of Maung Daw. Accompanying him were Immigration Minister U Khin Yi, Deputy Defense Minister U Soe Win and President’s Office Minister U Soe Thein. Then, he held a meeting with Maung Daw Township Authority, selected village administrators in Maung Daw township, Rakhine Community Representatives and Rohingya Community Representatives at the office of Maung Daw district administration. In the meeting hall, there ...

By KPN News September 28, 2013 Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Maungdaw authority –Immigration department- is going to enlist the Rakhine Buddhist from Bangladesh who were settled in Maungdaw since September 23, according to an officer who deny his name. The project was started after Chief Minister held meeting with Maungdaw officials while he visited Maungdaw on 22 September, the officer said. The Immigration officer are collecting the family list and photograph to all the new settlers who had come from Bangladesh- Bangladeshi Rakhine. The government will give them the IDs card and will issue new family registration card which mean they are from Burma and staying in the Maungdaw and Buthidaung, the officer more added. The new settlers are welcome by Burmese authority and Arakan State government, Rakhine politicial party and local Rakhine. The Bangladeshi Rakhine who were living in the Chittagong hill tract where they works hard for their survival. When Rakhine political party...

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Maungdaw authorities – District and Township administration offices- had imposed the emergency act 144 again for two months on the eve of Muslim Eid festival day, said an elder from Maungdaw. “U Aung Myint Soe, the district administration officer and U Kyi San, the Township administration officer had ordered to Maungdaw public for imposing the emergency act 144 again for two month on August 8, 2013 at about 4:30pm. These emergency act 144 was imposed since June, 2012 which was renewed after end the date.” The Muslim from Burma will celebrate tomorrow where all the Rohingya Muslim will pray in mass together in one place. But, the authorities imposed emergency act 144 on time which make it not possible to pray together as the act is not allow more than 5 persons. This is now 2nd time for Rohingya Muslim not able to celebrate Eid pray together, said a student from Maungdaw. “The Rohingya Muslim in Maungdaw lost their happiness in the Eid after conflic...

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  A house of Rohingya people was completely burnt down into ashes by Natala villagers with the help of Nasaka (Burma border security force) yesterday night, at around 10:00pm, a close relative of the victim who did not identify his name. “The victim is identified as Dil Mohamed, hailed from Kilaidaung village (Dou Chee Yartan), under the Nasaka area No.7 of Maungdaw north, Arakan Sate.” Besides, two men —father and son from Aley Than Kyaw village tract of Maungdaw Township had been stabbed by the Natala villagers yesterday while they were sleeping in a hut at night out of the village. They have a vegetable farms nearby a Mountain and they have to watch their farm at night for guard of being stolen. They were sent to local clinic for medical treatment but they were not allowed to admit there. As a result, the victims are taking treatment from the village quack doctors. It is not possible to send the victims to Maungdaw general hospital as the road...

Maungdaw, Arakan State : The emergency Act 144 was extended again for two months starting from April 10, 2013 by Maungdaw high officials – U Kyi San, Township admin officer and U Aung Myint Soe, District admin officer- referring for stable and peace in town, according to an official from Maungdaw. “The emergency Act was again issued for unwanted event in the Maungdaw during the Buddhist water festival which is coming on April 13 – 18 (officially April 13-16).” But, Rohingya community in Maungdaw said the emergency Act is to harass and to restrict their movement within their areas. Showing the Act, security forces are trying to extort money from Rohingya community. The emergency Act was first imposed in Maungdaw on June 10, 2012 after Rakhines and Rohingyas fight each other to control the conflict, but the Act is only for Rohingya community not for Rakhine, said a politician. U Hla Myint, a police sergeant, is disturbing Rohingyas to extort money from...

Qutub Shah RB News January 16, 2013 (Edited by Mayu Thit Sar) Maungdaw: January 14, at midnight, in Kyauk Pando (Shita Furikka) village of Southern Maungdaw Township, the villager Eliyas s/o Habiullah was arrested from his house by the chief of Kyauk Pando Nasaka (Border Security Force) Camp. He was severely tortured soon after he got arrested although he didn’t know what went wrong with him. He was in the lock-up of Nasaka since then. It was his luck that he was able to convince the in-charge of the lock-up to release him after promising for a ransom.

Maungdaw, Arakan State : Bogyi Wi Myo Pyain, commander and head of NaSaKa camp based no-24 Kyein Chaung village tract (Boli Bazar),under region-4 has been looking for Hafez-Nurul Haque s/o Md Husain aged 39 hailed from Kyein Chaung village tract since three months over the false accusation that he uses Bangladeshi mobile  phone . However, as he refrained getting out, he had not been caught. But when he came out yesterday to participate in census check-up process (carried out by Na-Sa-Ka twice a year which is a must for Rohingyas only, unless they will be delisted from the census), coincidentally he was arrested by the Na-Sa-Kas lead by the above mentioned officer and placed under detention cell till they succeeded to extort 350000Ks from this poor victim.

Maungdaw,Arakan State:  The security forces – Police, Hluntin and Burma border securityforce (Nasaka) – are harassing Rohingya females while they areentering Maungdaw, according to a security officer fromMaungdaw. “The security forces charged the Rohingya females tocheck their body while they are entering to Maungdaw. The malesecurity personnel are checking the body of Rohingya females.”

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  3000 Bangladeshi Rakhines were settled in Natala villages in Maungdaw south since end of the December, said a village administration officer. “The Maungdaw officials brought the Rakhines people who recently enter to Burma from Bangladesh, to the Natala villages along the Maungdaw- Alaythankyaw road.”

Maungdaw, Arakan State:   The Maungdaw authority passed an order today to hold the border pass of Rohingya who are living in Ward number 3 and 5, according to village administration office member. Maungdaw Exit and entry point No.1 “The Rohingya – living in Ward number 3 and 5 – who denied to take digital fingerprints and photographs for registration  process with Bengali race.” The Burma border security force (Nasaka) entered today ward number 3 to collect so-called family population list with computerized digital fingerprints and photographs as Bengali which Rohingya community denied to register  and no one went to register with them, said a politician.

                                                            Bandarban bus station Maugdaw: 14 Buddhist families from Bandarban District under Chittagong Hill Tract in Bangladesh have sought shelter in Burma after entering into northern Maungdaw in Arakan State. An official from the area told Narinjara that they have now been provided with temporary shelters in the central school in downtown Maungdaw after being taken from Nasaka Area No. 01 in northern Maungdaw Township on the Bangladeshi border.

Today on 8 th  Dec 2012 two Rakhines with a motorbike hit an old Rohingya woman while she was crossing the road which broke one of her legs.  Today on 8 th  Dec 2012, in the afternoon at about 2:00PM, an old Rohingya widow, Mohameda Khatun d/o Azizur Rahman (60Yr) hailed from Kayin Tan (myoma) village tract was hit by a motorbike with two Rakhines on main road (Maungdaw to Buthidaung) in Siteillya hamlet of Kayin Tan (myoma) in front of the ACF office by the time she was crossing the road on the way back home from her relative’s house. One of her legs was broken down due to the accident.

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Two Rohingya youths were arrested by Nasaka personnel (Burma’s border security force) over allegation that they were trying to run away from the Nasaka when the they met them in the village at night on November 28, said a local from Aley Than Kyaw.  The arrested were identified as Abdul Hafez (20), son of Kala Putu and Abdullah (18), son of Asadullah, hailed from Udaung village of Maundaw south.

A Rohingya girl was taken into the Nasaka camp of Zaw Matet village tract by Nasakas while she was coming back home after selling fire-woods in the Zaw Matet market. “On 22nd Nov 2012, at 10:20AM, Nasakas from Zamatet Nasaka camp captured a 13 year old Rohingya girl known as Nur Bi Bi d/o Hansu hailed from Du-Thandar village tract of M aung Daw who was coming back home from Zaw Matet market after selling fire-wood. No one is allowed 

Maungdaw, Arakan State:   No humanitarian aids are allowed to distribute to Rohingya community in Maungdaw since June after riot, according to a politician from maungdaw. “The government is not allowed International NGOs – UNHCR and WFP- to distribute aids to Rohingya community in Maungdaw, where these NGOs were distributing humanitarian aids to these people before riot betwwen  Rakhine and Rohingya in June.”