1st April 2014
1-
Maungdaw Township, Arakan State
Around
7:30AM today (on 1st April 2014), a group of 100 Security
Force (Hlun Hteins) and Police, 50 Rakhine (Magh) Census Enumertors
and 20 Rohingya interpreters entered the village of Baggona in
southern Maungdaw to survey census. They visited some households at
the western Baggona and had conversations with the heads of the
households.
The
heads of the households asked “why are you here?”
The
census group replied “we are here to survey census.”
Then,
the heads said “we would take part in the census only when you are
doing it according to the law and standard set by the government and
give us the right to identify our own ethnic identity ‘Rohingya.”
To
which the census group replied “we don’t have permission to do
that yet. We will get the permission and come back.”
The
heads of the households politely responded “we will warmly be
welcoming you then. Thank you.”
The
group left the village for the village of Nurullah at 8:30AM. But the
villgers are highly suspicious of the census groups because they
secretly capture photographs and shoot videos of the households and
heads of the households during the conversations.
Maungdaw
administration has categorized villages in Maungdaw in clusters. Of
them, two are Pantaw Pyin (Lal Boinna), Baggona, Padin (Kunkara Fara,
Faatonza, Boddil) and Du Nyaung Pin Gyi (Shaira Fara) in one group
and Gawdu Thara (Gawdu Sara), Tharay Kunbaung (Sair Kunbaw), Kunnya
Fara (Zawmadat), Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi (Daang Khali) in another group
respectively. Hence, another census group made to the village of
Gawdusara at the time when the other group attempted to carry out
their plans in Baggona. (Tun Win Report)
…………………………………………………………………………..
-
Around 4:00PM 31st March 2014, U Sein Mra Aung (a
Rakhine), the village administrator of Nwa Roon Taung, summoned its
villagers and asked “will you participate in the population census?
If you want to participate under the ethnic category ‘Bengali,’
the census group will come tomorrow.” He also threatened “the
list of the people who claim ‘Rohingya’ will be sent to the
township administration so as to get the people punished.”
Besides,
the village administrator ordered “from today, no one can be on
sentry duty and give security to the village at night but only one
person, the head of the 100-households. He, too, has to do it without
even a stick. If there is any problem with anyone at night time, I
will not be responsible for it.”
The
villagers view that this is trick by the administrator to pressurize
and force the villagers to accept the term “Bengali.”
-
A team of census enumerators arrived at the Quarter 4, Maungdaw this
morning (i.e. 1st April 2014 morning). They asked Rohingyas about
their ethnic identity. They said “Rohingya.” Hence, the team left
without surveying census. (Sindhi
Khan Report)
—————————————————————————————————
2-
Sittwe (Akyab) Township, Arakan State
A
group of 200 Military, 300 Police Force, 100 immigration officers and
150 Census Enumerators arrived at the village of Thay Chaung Lat
Thama, Sittwe (Akyab) township at 7:00AM today. They inquired
Rohingya villagers of their ethnic name like they did in other
villages earlier days. Rohingyas are firm on claiming their
legitimate right ‘Rohingya.’ Hence, the team left the village
without surveying census for the village of (main) Thay Chaung.
Before
they left, one of the two reporters observing the situation asked
Rohingyas why they were not participating. A Rohingya youth replied
“we would like to participate. But they are not writing down our
ethnic name ‘Rohingya.’ We are asking them to write it down. But
they are simply neglecting it.” So, the reporter said “it’s
your right. They must write it down.”
And
in the village of Thay Chaung as well, the same situation took place.
Simultaneously,
another group was attempting to make Rohingya accept the term
‘Bengali’ at the village of Thay Chaung Samanna. But Rohingya
seniors from the village told the census group right before their
entry to the village that their villagers would take part only when
the group used their ethnic identity Rohingya. Thus, the group left
the place without entering the village for the Rakhine (Magh)
villages in Thay Chaung at 10:00AM. (Saed Arkani Report)
…………………………………………………………..
At
12:30PM today, a group of census enumerators visited the village of
Da-Paing in Sittwe (Akyab) township. Since Rohingyas refused to be
registered under ‘Bengali’ ethnic category, the team left the
village (without carrying out survey) for the downtown of Sittwe at
2:15PM of th day. (Saed Arkani Report)
—————————————————————————————————————————————
3-
Mye Bun Township, Arakan State
On
31st March 2014 morning, A team census of 500 including
Security Force and Census Enumerators arrived at the IDP camps of
Rohingyas in the township. Since they said their ethicity was
‘Rohingya,’ the team left. In the afternoon, the township
administrator threatened (the displaced Rohingyas) “if you don’t
accept the term ‘Bengali,’ then, we will cut off your water
supply and food channels and burn down your homes and shelters. You
must accept it by any means.” So, they are surveying the census
keeping the ethnic category blank. Thus, due to the rude behaviour
and threats by the administrators, now, Rohingyas fear of being
forcibly termed as Bengali. (Sallam Oic Group Report)
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
4-
Mrauk-U (Mro-Haung, Phatthar Killa) Township, Arakan State
-
Paung Touk (Fundu Kul) in Mrauk-U (Phatthar Killa) township is a
Rohingya village with more than 800 households and a population of
8250. A census numeration team visited the village and told the
villagers that they would survey the census only when they could
write ‘Bengali’ under the ethnic category. It means that they
were not ready to give Rohingyas’ freedom to choose their ethnic
identity.
As
the team started behaving rude saying “Rakhine State Government
Spokeperson, U Win Myaing, has ordered us not survey census at all if
you people claim to be Rohingyas,” Rohingya seniors replied
“according to the law and standard set by the government of Myanmar
for 2014 population census, everyone has the right to claim his/her
ethnic dentity freely. We have been living in this country for
centuries and are citizens of this country. If there are two
communities in a state, one can’t be totally favored and another
can’t be totally oppressed. We have strong historical evidences
that we are citizens of this country. Therefore, if you don’t allow
us to register as Rohingya, we won’t not be participating in it
either. If you give us the right to claim our ethnic identity, we are
going to take part in the census right now.”
Afterwards,
with the census enumeration team, there were 50 Police officers from
the Mrauk-U Police Station, one military battalion unit and
immigration. (Ko Moe Thu report)
…………………………………………………………………
-
This morning, a team of military, police and immigration officials
and census enumerators visited the village of Yaing-Thay in Mrauk-U
(Phatthar Killa) township. [Yaing-Thay is the village where 46
innocent Rohingyas (children, adults, olds alike) were brutally
killed in October 2012 as they were hiding in a grave yard.] They
summoned a member from each household to the premise of Basic Primary
School at the village. The team tried to force Rohingyas to provide
their datae and write them down on blank A4 papers. But Rohingyas
refused to provide their datae arguing that they (datae) can’t be
written on blank papers and must be written on the census forms. “If
you write down on the census forms and use ‘Rohingya’ ethnicity,
we are providing our datae now” said Rohingya villagers. The
authority tried to threaten Rohingyas by different means but
Rohingyas stood firm.
Eventually,
the team left the village as their plot proved abortive. (Ro
Myochit Report)
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