Obama Should Press Thein Sein to End Sectarian Violence
(Bangkok) – Attacks and arson in late October by ethnic Arakanese against Rohingya Muslims in
Burma’s
Arakan State were at times carried out with the support of state
security forces and local government officials, Human Rights Watch said
today. New satellite imagery obtained by Human Rights Watch shows
extensive destruction of homes and other property in the predominantly
Rohingya Muslim areas of Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, and Myebon townships, all
sites of violence and displacement in late October 2012.
Rohingya and Arakanese residents of Pauktaw and Mrauk-U townships
described to Human Rights Watch the sectarian attacks and arson that
occurred in those areas on October 23 and 24, which in some cases
involved state security forces. Similar violence between Arakanese
Buddhists and Rohingya and non-Rohingya Muslims, also involving state
security forces, occurred in seven other townships in late October.
Barack Obama is
scheduled to make a one-day visit
to Rangoon on November 19 to meet with Burmese President Thein Sein and
opposition leaders.“President Obama should make clear to the Burmese
president that the attacks on the Rohingya need to stop if the Burma
government wants to avoid renewed sanctions and the suspension of
renewed military-to-military dialogues with the United States,” said
Brad Adams,
Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This is crunch time because
Burma’s failure to contain sectarian violence in Arakan State and hold
accountable those responsible calls into question the Burmese
government’s stated goal of becoming a rights-respecting, multi-ethnic
state.”
In satellite images of four townships in Arakan State that experienced
violence in late October and in the state capital, Sittwe, which
experienced violence in June, Human Rights Watch identified a total of
4,855 destroyed structures. These images show zones of documented
destruction covering 348 acres of largely residential areas
predominantly home to Rohingya Muslims who have since fled and to Kaman
Muslims in Kyauk Pyu.
The images, which were captured on November 3 and 8, are not exhaustive
and reflect damages in only five of the 13 townships that have
experienced violence in Arakan State since June.Rohingya from Pauktaw
now at camps near Sittwe told Human Rights Watch that for weeks they
faced hostile Arakanese mobs, sometimes led by Buddhist monks, who
threatened violence against them and anyone else found selling or
providing the Rohingya with food or other assistance. They said they
repeatedly notified local authorities of these threats, but insufficient
action was taken. In late October, just prior to the violence, Rohingya
were called to a series of community meetings held by local Arakanese
members of a nationalist political party and local government officials
apparently aimed at convincing the local Muslim population to abandon
their homes.
On October 23, when boats filled with several hundred armed Arakanese
descended on the riverside Rohingya villages in Pauktaw, the Rohingya
fled, fearing for their lives, and their villages were razed.
Displaced Rohingya and Kaman Muslims told Human Rights Watch that some
members of the state security forces provided them temporary protection
at various points in late October – for example by firing shots in the
air to fend off hostile Arakanese mobs, or by providing water and food
to their boatloads afloat offshore who were being denied permission to
come ashore in Sittwe. But these instances of protection were offset by
violence committed against the Rohingya and Kaman by other groups of
security forces. For example, on October 26, soldiers from Nasaka, a
government border guard force under the command of the army, severely
beat dozens of displaced Rohingya who had clambered off boats on to the
shores near Sittwe.
The new satellite imagery shows near 100 percent destruction of Yan
Thei village in Mrauk-U Township. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that
Arakanese mobs armed with swords, spears, homemade guns, bows and
arrows, and other weapons descended on the village on October 23, and
fighting ensued. The Rohingya were ultimately surrounded and
overwhelmed, and survivors fled by land to an area outside the village.
Gruesome casualties were sustained on both sides, including beheadings
and killings of women and children.
After October’s violence, there are now more than 110,000 internally
displaced persons in Arakan State, nearly all Rohingya Muslims. “People
are still coming every day,” a displaced Rohingya near Baw Du Ba
displaced person camp told Human Rights Watch.
Yan Thei Village, Mrauk-U Township: Pre-attack View of Village
Yan Thei Village, Mrauk-U Township, on 11 February 2012. Pre-attack view of village in satellite image.
Damage Analysis: Human Rights Watch; Image © DigitalGlobe 2012; Source: EUSI
A team of 15 Burmese Immigration
personnel, consisting of 3 personnel from Arakan State Immigration, 9 personnel
from Kyauktaw Township Immigration and 3 RNDP (Rakhine Nationalities
Development Party) members went in Yadanabone (Nairong-Murafara), Kadir Fara, Fiding Fara and Modi Fara of Kyauktaw on 21 January
2013 in doing population survey for 2013, according to local report.
