Burma: Thousands flee Rakhine State amid

worst violence in years

A Rohingya refugee woman sits with her belongings on the no mans land on the
Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, on Aug 27, 2017.
Source: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain-Suu Kyi attends the funeral ceremony
of Aung Shwe, former chairman of National League for Democracy (NLD) party, in
Yangon, Burma, on Aug 17, 2017. Source: Reuters/Soe Zeya Tun-

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) prepare a mortar as a part their

defence after heavy gunshots are being heard at the Myannmar side in Coxs
Bazar, Bangladesh, on Aug 26, 2017. Source: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain-A
group of Rohingya refugees takes shelter at the Kutuupalang makeshift refugee
camp, after crossing the Burma-Bangladesh border today in Coxs Bazar,
Bangladesh, on Aug 26, 2017. Source: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
 28th August 2017
A Rohingya refugee woman sits with her belongings on the no mans land on the
Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, on Aug 27, 2017.
Source: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
ROHINGYA Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist civilians have fled Rakhine State in the
thousands as fighting killed more than 100 people over the weekend the worst
violence to hit the restive northwest of Burma (Myanmar) in five years.

The mass escape from the northern part of Rakhine State was triggered by
widespread coordinated offensives by Rohingya insurgents wielding sticks, knives
and homemade bombs in attacks on Friday on 30 police posts and an army base.

The violence occurred just days after the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on
Rakhine State handed down its final report, in which it recommended Burma
improve monitoring of its security forces and hold those accused of human rights
abuses accountable.

The Dhaka Tribune reported on Monday hundreds of Rohingya are stranded in

no mans land on the Burma-Bangladesh border, as security forces on both
sides seek to prevent movement across the border.

SEE ALSO: India will deport all Rohingya refugees govt

We fled to Bangladesh in terror of our lives, said a 70-year-old man as quoted

by the Bangladeshi daily. Army men picked one of my sons up. He will never
return home because I am sure they have already killed him.
The violence in the Rakhine marks a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has
simmered in the region since last October, when a similar but much smaller
Rohingya attack prompted a brutal military response dogged by allegations of
human rights abuses.

The events of the past 24 hours cast in stark relief the urgent need to take
immediate measures to de-escalate conflict and chart a path toward long-term
peace, and the recommendations delivered to the government by the [Annan]
Commission are an ideal place to start, said a statement from Asean
Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) head Charles Santiago.

The treatment of about 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya in mainly Buddhist Burma
has emerged as the biggest challenge for national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who
has condemned the attacks and commended the security forces.

The Nobel Peace laureate has been accused by some Western critics of not
speaking out for the long-persecuted Muslim minority and of defending the
armys counter-offensive after the October attacks.

Suu Kyis office is implicating aid workers in militancy and suggesting the World
Food Programme (WFP) is feeding militants. The WFP and a few other aid groups
have kept civilians alive, a population the government would otherwise let
starve, Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith said in a statement on Monday.

Before this recent spate of violence broke out, it was estimated more than
80,000 Rohingya children under the age of five had acute severe malnutrition,
also known as wasting, due in large part to strict restrictions on freedom of
movement.
SEE ALSO: Burmas lawmakers unanimous in motion denouncing UN officials
remarks

Thousands of Rohingya mostly women and children fleeing the violence

sought to ford the Naf river separating Burma and Bangladesh and cross the land
border.

Some of the refugees who had escaped previous pogroms in Burma said
Bangladeshi police had warned them not to help the new arrivals.

They told us, If anyone gives them shelter, we will arrest you and send you to
the other side. So, out of fear, we are not allowing any newcomers, Mohammad
Yunus, a Rohingya Muslim, said in a makeshift refugee camp near the border.

Despite these measures, about 2,000 people have been able to cross into
Bangladesh since Friday, according to estimates by Rohingya refugees living in the
makeshift camps in Bangladesh.

SEE ALSO: Humanity before security: The human face of the refugee crisis

At the no mans land between the two countries, Reuters reporters saw dozens of
Rohingya women, most wearing the all-enveloping burqa, seated in a cramped
area under a few black plastic sheets shielding them from the harsh sun.

Gunfire rang out on the Burma side of the border on Saturday and Sunday.
For years, the Rohingya have endured apartheid-like conditions in northwestern
Burma, where they are denied citizenship and face severe travel restrictions.
Many Burma Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Non-Muslims evacuated

In Burma, the UN and international aid agencies withdrew some staff from the
area, after the government said it was investigating whether members of aid
groups had been involved in an alleged siege by the insurgents of a village in
August.

The state has provided security to aid workers, but with this kind of situation, no
one can fully guarantee safety, Rakhine State chief minister Nyi Pu said.

If they want to stay, we will give security as best as we can.

If they dont want to stay, due to their safety concerns, and want to leave, we
told them that we will help them.
The military reported several weekend clashes involving hundreds of Rohingya
insurgents across northern Rakhine state.

Extremist terrorists blew out improvised bombs, set fire to villages and attacked
the police outposts in Maungtaw, the state-run Global New Light of
Myanmar daily said on Monday, referring to a major regional town.

SEE ALSO: Burma vows no restrictions, escorts media to restive Rakhine

The government reported at least 104 deaths the vast majority militants, plus
12 members of security forces and several civilians.
The government is again alleging Rohingya are burning down their own homes,
said Fortify Rights Smith.

In doing so, the government is fuelling the idea all Rohingya are intent on
deceiving the world and that all Rohingya are combatants. Its not only incorrect,
its dangerous.

The government urged Rohingya civilians to cooperate with security forces,

assuring those with without ties to the insurgents they would not be affected.

It has declared the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which instigated the
October attacks and claimed responsibility for the latest offensive, a terrorist
organisation.

The governments allegations were baseless, the group said in a statement on

Monday, seeking to present its cause as a defence of Rohingya rights.

The loss of any and all life is a tragedy, and, as lawmakers, we categorically
renounce the use of violence, especially against civilians, who remain at serious
risk, added Santiago of APHR.

The Burma government has a responsibility to protect all civilians, and the Asean
region, as well as the broader international community, must actively aid in
achieving that goal.

SEE ALSO: Burma: UN probe can only aggravate Rakhine tension, envoys told
North Rakhine State is populated mostly by Rohingya Muslims. Thousands of non-
Muslim villagers were being evacuated to larger towns, monasteries and police
stations, the government said. Many were arming themselves with knives and
sticks for fear of insurgent attacks.

We are afraid of swords because they attack people with swords, said Than Aye,
a 65-year-old villager fleeing the township of Buthidaung for Sittwe, the state
capital.

Thats why we are fleeing from there, as we are afraid of them. I havent slept
well at night.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Posted by Thavam