Our village is peaceful, we want no more violence

November 19, 2017

After the terrorist attacks by ARSA in Yathedaung, Maungtaw and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine State, many Islamic people from local villages have fled to Bangladesh. However there are some Islamic people who have remained in their villages and continue to live and work there peacefully. The media group interviewed some of the Islamic people who remained and the village leaders on the challenges that they face and the possible reasons some Islamic people have fled abroad.

Kasein

(Tayetpyin Village resident)

I sell betel nut in Nyaung Chaung Market and I have 5 family members. One of my daughters made her own decision to go to Bangladesh with her husband on 19 October. The husband calls me and says it's difficult living over there. Our village is peaceful for now and we want no violence. Because of the restriction to remain at home before 6am and 6pm, there isn't much work to do and so some moved to Bangladesh to find work but it isn't going well for them over there.

Eislam

(U Maung Sein)

(66 year old resident of Tayetpyin Village)

Our village is peaceful although there are some people who've gone to Bangladesh. I think it's because there's no food or work here; it's a poor village. We cut timber and fish for food so the imposed curfew is a real hindrance. The people who fled abroad are neither well off or well educated; they are mostly poor. I think the terrorists are doing these attacks to gain money. They've built buildings abroad and I think they are using us because we are not so educated.

Mahmet Ismai

(Resident of Payarpyin village, Buthidaung Township)

I have 15 family members. I heard that a neighboring village was burnt down and the people fled abroad. They can't retreat into the hills, they can't go to the cities, they have no work or money so they travel to other countries.

The government supplies rice, lentils and onions but some have such a big family that the ration is usually not enough. Those who are little well-off remain here but some have fled because they heard they have to register for an NVC (National Verification Card). There has been no problem in this village in 2012 or 2016.

Mohammed Zubai

(Resident of Aungba Village, Buthidaung Township)

My family and I have always lived here. I graduated from the Defense College. After Article 144 was enforced the people here can't gather timber or fish anymore so I think that's why they went abroad. The government gives out rations but there are just too many people for it to be enough. The terrorist attacks have also slowed down or halted businesses.

Fawbi Mamoud

(Resident of Du-O-The Village, Buthidaung Township)

My family owns 20 acres of farmland. We don't need to go away since we have farm work to do. Some people left because they're afraid for their lives but I don't know what the reason for their fear is. Still others leave because there is no work for them here. Up till 15 September there have been over a thousand people who left this place.

 Abdumalik

(Elder of Kadi Village)

After the attacks on 25 August about 900 hundred villagers left the village for abroad. As an elder I tried to persuade them not to go but because of restricted travel and other people from other villages are also leaving, I couldn't do anything. We've receive rations and support three or five times already. I don't want anyone else to leave because here we can fish and reap our crops.

Abdu Ramah

(Chief of Du-O-The Village, Buthidaung Township)

About 1,500 people from our village have fled from here. The reason is that most of our villagers go work in Rakhine villages but after they were restricted from entering work has been slow for them. Administrative bodies and the Red Cross provide us with support from time to time. We haven't had contact with the people who've left.

Kyaw Zin Win

(Chief of Payarpyin village tract, Buthidaung Township)

There are three villages in our village tract including an ethnic village and a Bengali village.

The residents of Payarpyin and Aungpa Bengali village make up over 6,000 villagers. Our Rakhine Gantgaw Myaing villagehas over 400 villagers. Most of the villagers left for abroad a week after the attacks on 25 August.

I heard that the majority left because of difficulty with getting work and food. Some of the villagers and the administrative bodies are providing food and the Tatmadaw donated some clothing. Even though Article 144 was enforced, it is still possible to work between 6am and 6 pm.

They can work in the fields, fish or tend to the cattle. The area around here didn't have any problems on 25 August and we've had Bengali people pass through here on their way to work. There are no religious restrictions or restrictions of any kind here.

U Lin Lin

(Chief of Nyaung Chaung Village Tract)

No one has left our villages recently although some time ago about 800 Bengali villagers have left.

I asked the village leaders why they left and they said most of the villagers' responses were that they had no reason to stay here anymore.

There isn't any threats or coercion here and I tried to persuade them from leaving. We have always lived and worked side by side peacefully. There are 840 households with 5,632 villagers living here.

The total number of people who've left our village so far is around 1,493 people and I think they left because they were worried about their future.

I've asked some of them what their reason for leaving is and they say it's because they can't go out to work anymore. Administrative bodies and humanitarian organizations have provided us with supplies and food but people still leave the villages.

Our village has had no problems in October 2016 and August 2017.

By-News Team Photo-Phoe Taung, Nay Lin

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar