Eight Villagers Killed and Eighteen Wounded in June First Week; Mirror to History of DNA in Rakhine’s Blood of Resistance

Villager woman wounded by shell explosion in Sabar Htar on June 3

Eight Villagers Killed and Eighteen Wounded in June First Week; Mirror to History of DNA in Rakhine’s Blood of Resistance

(News and Analysis)

June 6, 2019. Sittway

Despite of the international organizations’ condemnation and calls for respect international humanitarian laws, Myanmar Army intentionally targets and kills more civilians in Rakhine State, Myanmar. But it will not prevent supporting and joining more people in Arakan Army to fight back because of historical grievance of political, social, and economical discriminated in their bloods.  

In recent weeks, Myanmar army and Arakan Army have sporadically been clashing in Kyauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk U, Plattwa, and Pannaygun township areas.

Local news outlets reported with records of President Office repress reports and along with Arakan Army’s spokesperson interviews that 100 fighters of AA were killed by Myanmar Army while 1,500 government soldiers were exterminated by AA so far, including high ranking officers.

Then, Myanmar army responds by revenge killing over civilians.

The army opened fire guns and shelled into Myaung Bwe village, Minbya township, on June 2. A 43 years old woman was wounded when a Muslim mother and her child were injured in Shan Wra village. The witnesses in the village said the bullets and artilleries came from Myanmar army.

Maung Win Naing, 43, was killed by landmine explosion while two other women were injured in Nyung Pin Hla village, Mrauk U Township, on June 3.

They went to the mountain, a half mile from village, to collect vegetables. Villagers told our information center, Myanmar army had stationed in the mountain for last month. They planted the landmines in the forests and mountains. One of the landmines killed the man.

Such life in semi-agricultural society and for the majority of Rakhine villagers, there is no shopping mall nor supermarket to buy vegetables and meats, but the nature produces heathy and organic vegetables in the forests and mountains where they go and collect for foods.

They do not possess credit cards nor DEBT cards as well as American Express. These kinds of electronic bank cards may be one more generations away to get. Now, there is a huge problem for them to get foods from the forests and mountains because of mushroom of landmines.

Military officers in Myanmar are trained to cut the villagers’ blood lines of rations from the mountains by planting the landmines. So do in Rakhine State.

The military strategists believe when people are imposed to starve and weaken, further existence of AA is down-and-out.  

Indeed, Myanmar army fired shells and guns into the Buddhist temple in Sabar Htar village, Minbya township, at 4 pm on June 3 when over 300 villagers were taking shelter.

The explosions and gunfire killed 6 villagers and 9 other wounded, including a 13 years old girl.

Such powerful artillery shells are only held by Myanmar army; it was not an accident shooting into the temple, but it was intentionally shelling to kill the civilians.

Daw Khine Thein Mra, 65 years old woman was wounded by gun shoot in Wee Thar Li village in Mrauk U township, on June 5. Two explosions were taken place near the highway. Then small arms fired into the village.

On the same day of June 5, artillery shells fired into Kannan Mae village, Pannaygun township. U Sein Tun, 40 years old Khami ethnic died on the spot, and three other Khami ethnic women and man wounded critically.

The murderers of government soldier usually get away by policy and strategy of four-cuts.

Killing civilians as one of the former military officers who self-proclaimed Political Analyst Dr Aung Myo reiterates during the local TV shows, “Let the people learn the war lessons by giving all kind of hardships and atrocities so that they will not support Arakan Army in long run.”

This is exactly the Myanmar army is doing to kill civilians in Rakhine.

Both the government and military leaders have not got learned counter production of violence that reverse to armed resistances for 70 years of oppressions. They more the army kills the people, the most the young men and women join AA as injustice constitutes armed resentment.

By both policy and strategy, central government that are mainly dominated by Burman ethnic have been discriminating against Rakhine people since independence in 1947. As a result, Rakhine people become poorer and less developed.

In returned, Burman political parties had never won elections in Rakhine State for even decades but national based political parties.

After military junta laid down the road map for democratization and in 2010 election, Rakhine nationalist young men shifted to armed struggles that has created Arakan Army with 10,000 strong fighters.

Throughout the history of Burman violent occupation of Arakan Kingdom in 1784, Rakhine people have been accumulating their strong resentment in their bloods by generations after generations in which they are never happy of being submission, and in deeper sense of political enlightenment in all men are created equal as rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

Self-determination is door way to defend life, promote liberty, and pursue happiness, and that is why Arakan Army is given birth by the people and for people to fight for their freedom.

But in the darkness of colonialism ideologue, the Burman leaders brand Aarakan Army members and their supporters as terrorists.

These gaps of belief and ideological difference between Burman leaders and Rakhine people will not be ending by violent means but politically and morally mending via meaningful dialogues.

For certain, killing civilians by Myanmar army is no way to clear Rakhine bloods in DNA that contains with hunger for freedom and thirsty for justice.

Khami ethnic woman wounded by artillery shell explosion in Kannan Mae village