Thursday, July 5, 2012

Mass arrests of Rohingya in Rakhine State: BROUK

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Thursday, 05 July 2012 13:03 Mizzima News

A Burmese joint police and security force raided a Rohingya village in Maungdaw Daw in Rakhine State on Wednesday in search of Rohingya Muslims, according to a statement issued by the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK).

During the raid, three Rohingya were killed and eight were wounded while trying to escape, BROUK said. Police arrested about 100 Rohingya, it said, and it is not known where those arrested were being held.

Security forces also surrounded Kiladang village (Maungdaw South), Udong village and Myo Thu Gyi village (Maungdaw) on Wednesday, it said.

On Tuesday in Sittwe, one Rohingya house was burned in Bu May village, according to the statement. Local residents said a Rohingya girl from Nazeer village (Ward 5, Sittwe) was raped and tortured by three members of  Battalion 232, said BROUK.

BROUK president Tun Khin said, “During the state-sponsored violence many Rohingya have been killed by police and security forces. According to people from detention camps near Sittwe, at least 10 Rohingyas are dying everyday because of lack of food, shelter and medicine.

“The Rohingya can’t go to the places as there is no protection for Rohingyas. Thein Sein’s regime is not protecting Rohingya and instead is arresting and killing people without any reason. It is time for the international community to protect Rohingyas. Pressure must be applied on Thein Sein to stop the attacks and stop the arrests.

“International monitors must be allowed into the area. Humanitarian agencies must have free and unrestricted access to assist all displaced people,” said the statement.

Since widespread sectarian violence erupted in the state in late May, Mizzima has reported that the Burmese government has set up more than 40 temporary relief camps in six townships in Rakhine State and has asked for humanitarian assistance to help displaced people in the camps.

The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has expanded its distributions of emergency supplies. By mid-June, the program had reached more than 66,000 people with food and other material, and estimates said there are some 90,000 displaced people in need of assistance as a result of the recent clashes.

Violence sparked between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas early in June in Taungup in Rakhine State after a Buddhist woman was raped and murdered.

In a press release, the WFP said the government has requested urgent humanitarian assistance for the affected people in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Sittwe. The WFP said it has made plans for a three-month food assistance operation that will require additional support from donors.

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