Rakhine Extremists Using Corpses to Destabalize Rohingya Areas

Sindhi Khan and CR

2^nd April 2014

Northern Maungdaw, Arakan- Rakhine (Magh) extremists in northern Maungdaw are using two dead bodies of Rakhines in different regions in northern Maungdaw to create unrest and trigger violence against Rohingyas again.

“There is a small Dinet Buddhist village in the village of Saam Bala of the Thay Chaung village tract, northern Maungdaw. And there is an ongoing battle excercise. Around 8:00AM on 31^st March 2014, U Htay Maung, a Dinet, was admitted to the hospital at Quarter 1 in Taung-Pyo La-Wei subtownship due to the injuries from an accidental bomb blast during their training session. However, he passed away in the hospital at 8:00PM of the day.

Mros, Khami sand Dinets (considered to be factional groups of Rakhine) from the village of Saam Bala dressed up the dead body with Hlun Htein (security force) uniform to make it look like a dead body of security force. Then, they tried to place it in Rohingya villages nearby so that they can spread propaganda that Rohingyas have killed a Hlun Htein. However, they were not successful in making up the plot as Rohingyas have been on high alert and giving security to their villages every night. The villages they tried to place the dead body in are Mi-Daik, Pindi, Ye Aung Chaung and other villages under Taung-Pyo sub-township.

The villagers of Saam Bala unequivocally said they heard a blasting sound sounded like a bomb blast on 30^th March 2014 night. Besides, they also confirmed that they have witnessed the battle trainings being provided to the Rakhine extremists living in nearby villages” said a Rohingya from a nearby village referring to the statements of the Saam Bala villagers.

“Now, Rakhine extremists from the Rakhine village of Auk Pruma village tract, northern Maungdaw, are attempting to place a dead body in Rohingya villages of At-Htet-Pyuma and Auk-Pruma with a view to destablizing the region. People suspect that the dead boy was brought from Saam Bala or it could be another dead body” said CR, a reliable source on the ground.

“They like to spread blatant propganda to target us. These extremists don’t even spare the corpses of their dead people in using against us” the source added.