Violence in Myanmar: Not a religious conflict but a plotted terror attack.

 

By Tharabar  |  Posted June 9, 2012  |  Maundaw, Myanmar

 

On 9th June 2012, the US Department of State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told their concerns about the recent murder case of 10 Muslim pilgrims in Myanmar. A day before she made her comment, some civilians are being attacked by a mob in Rakhine state in western Myanamr. Many news agencies described the incidnets as religious conflicts by using the words “Buddhists”, “Muslims”. Is it really a religious conflicts?

Some Myanmar local news agencies have already sent their reporters into the region and published the current situation on their respective websites. The reports indicate that local Rakhine civilians in Maungdaw district were attacked by the Rohingya mob. Dozens of Rakhine villages were burnt down and many of villagers fled away and sought refuge in monasteries. The security forces were trying to control the situation in the Town. Even though the security was restored on the Maundaw Township on Saturday, 19 villages Rakhine ethnics groups were destroyed.

According to the state media, 7 death and 17 seriously wounded (including a family of medical doctor) and 494 houses, including the home of a reporter of Eleven Media Group (EMG), were destroyed in the violence. Also some reports appear on social network about some mob attacks on Sittway, the city of Rakhine state.

10 people, killed by a mob as a consequence of a rape and murder case happened in Rakhine state, are actually not local people. Most of them are Myanmar Muslims from Irrawaddy delta area, thousand miles far away from Maungdaw. They are Burmese Muslims and not Rohingya. The incident happened on the way back of their home from a religious ceremony.
Because of that incident, Myanmar Muslims protest in the heart of Yangon, the former capital, called for justice and government reacted rapidly, by organizing a committee and started to investigate the case. The demonstration ended peacefully after a few hours.

But the terror attacks happened in Rakhine state a day after. Most of the people believed that murdering 10 Muslim pilgrims is a set-up case to raise a religious riot between Buddhist and local Muslims. Their motive is believed to be a racial abuse to wipe out Rakine civilians and occupy the territory. Some witness said they shout to the Rakhine villagers not to come back the villages while they set fire on the houses. They are Bengalis, so called Rohingya who were denied by Bangladesh to recognize them as their citizens, even though they speak the same language, and have the same religion and customs.

A person from Rakhine Ethnices Party called it as terrorist attack. He told EMG “This is a terrorist attack. It cannot be neglected. Despite all the citizens have the rights of religious freedom, Rohingya people are not involved in 135 Myanmar national ethnics...”

(Ko) Mya Aye of the 88 Generation Students Group said to local news agencies “I entirely condemn this terrorist attack. The concerned persons must rebuild the houses of victims in these arson attacks. The government should take legal action against these terrorists.”

(Ko) Mya Aye is a well known Muslim and a leader of 88 Group, who led 1988 uprising for democracy. They also made a press conference and denied Rohinja as a nationality. ”Rohinja affair is nothing related to Muslim”. They reasoned that the recent violences are due to illegal migrants and are linked to hidden agendas.

Dr. Aye Maung, chairman of the Rakhine Ethnics Development Party, told EMG “The situations in Maungdaw Township are very serious. The problem should be solved by legal procedures...... If the problem becomes bigger, it is possible to result in series of cases..”

Meanwhile, some photos of incident posted by a facebook account of a Presidential office officer. Political parties, activist leaders, and Myanmar Muslim Associations are making announcements urging to avoid the possible religious clash and not to spread the violence over the country.

However, some news agencies already titled the news about recent violence as “Muslim-Buddhist violence”, but it is difficult to accept it according to the reports we received.

 
 This is the terrorists attack and dozens of Rakhine(burmese people) are killed by Rohingyas, are not included in Myanmar nationality. Now they burnt down the buildings and houses in sittwe, capital of rakhine state. This is not the religious issue and just a terrorist attack. Please broadcast the truth. I believe CNN that will tell the truth because it has the great idea like ireport. So we can inform the real situation. Thank you so much CNN.

 I'm stongly support that Rohinja are not Myanmar ethnic, they use same language, culture, religious and same lifestyle with Bangali people. Our country Rakhine state rare population, rich cultuvated land and resources, so they migrate gradually in this region , now they are majority than original local ethnic so called Rakhine. Now, this region face serious problems, Rohinja mob killed and bun in local residents and houses,10 or more local people killed, nearly 20 villages fired by rohinja mob, they are connected with Al Quida and intention is establish musilum terriotory in this region. Now their action and intention is same as terriorist. This is actual terriorist, not conflict between myanmar musilm and buddish.

 It is happening truly in our land. The intruders are taking advantages on people from Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is not religious conflict but terrorist attack. All natives are now reckless and fled from their villages to avoid being murdered or burnt by Rohingyas. 

 http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-801111