An Elderly Rohingya Arrested in Relation to Fire Incident at Maungdaw Municipal Market

MYARF Report | Written by M.S.Anwar

November 24, 2013

Maungdaw, Arakan: Around 7PM yesterday (i.e. on 23^rd Novemeber 2013), Rakhine extremists set Rohingya shops at the Maungdaw Municipal market on fire. (Click to read the report:http://www.rvisiontv.com/breaking-news-rohingyas-shops-at-maungdaw-municipal-market-on-fire/) However, this morning, Maungdaw Police arrested an elderly Rohingya man on behalf of his son alleged by Rakhine authority to be the cause of the fire at the market.

“Rohingya shops at the Municipal caught fire around 7PM yesterday. We believe for strong reasons that Rakhine terrorists together with Maungdaw Electricity Department and Telecommunication Department plotted to set the shops on fire.

However, this morning, Rakhine Police arrested an elderly Rohingya man, U Siru (age 50), on behalf of his son, Mohammed (Age 25), alleged by Rakhine authority to be the cause of the fire at the market. The balatant authority accuse him of being the cause of the fire because his shop, a food grocery shop under the shop number 2D 12, caught fire first. But the truth is he didn’t run his shop all the day and hence, his shop was closed yesterday. So, how could he be the cause of the fire?

The said accused man lives in the village of Shwe Za (Shujah). Police raided his home to arrest him this morning. He was not home at the time. So, the Police arrested his father instead.

What sort of justice is this? Where else can you see such injustice but in Myanmar? It is not double but treble victimization” said a local Rohingya in Maungdaw.

“On the other hand, authority has locked down all the shops at the market. No Rohingya is allowed to go into the market and check out what had happened. Around 4-5 shops were burnt down. But we saw from outside that all the shops at the outer-line were destroyed and looted. We think all other shops inside the market were also looted. They said they would allow us to run our shops only when Rakhine State Administration issues permission for that. Until then, we can’t even check out what happened to our properties” he continued.

Maungdaw Municipal Market Before It Had Been Burnt Down or Destroyed. It is surrounded by Rakhine Quarters. 95% of Shops at the Market Belong Rohingyas.

“In a separate incident yesterday, Rakhine terrorists burnt down a two-century-old historical mosque at the village of Myo-Thu-Gyi (Hainda Fara), Maungdaw. (Report can be read here: http://www.rvisiontv.com/breaking-news-rakhine-terrorists-burn-down-two-century-old-mosque-in-maungdaw/).They were able to do so because Firebrigade used Water Canon to disperse the Rohingyas going to extinguish fire. Hlun Htein (Security Force) also prevented Rohingyas from going to the place.

As of now, the situation is extrenely tensed in Maungdaw and Rakhines have more more arrogant” he added.