March 8, 2018
1. European
Union Foreign Affairs Council held its meeting with the participation of the
ministers of foreign affairs of the European Union-EU on 26 February 2018. The
meeting reached a conclusion that continued help must be provided to Bengali
refugees, the media and the fact-finding mission of the UN Human Rights Council
must be rendered freedom and cooperation, continued cooperation must be made
with the special rapporteur on human rights, the verdict under the power of the
International Criminal Court-ICC must be accepted, the defence cooperation with
Myanmar must be reduced to the lowest level, the proposal to impose targeted
restrictions and sanctions on senior officers of the Myanmar Tatmadaw who are
responsible for human rights violations must be presented soonest.
2. Such a
decision at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting was triggered by
102 MPs of the House of Commons led by MP Rushanara Ali who submitted a letter
to British Secretary of State Boris Johnson. The letter made a demand to exert
more pressures on Tatmadaw leaders in connection with the Rakhine issue and to
transfer them to the ICC and to discuss the issue at the European Union Foreign
Affairs Council meeting.
3. The report
also launched an accusation saying that over 688,000 Rohingyas fled to
Bangladesh due to offensive launched by the Myanmar military against Rohingya
civilians, that according to the Bangladeshi government the number of refugees
reached its country exceeded one million, that tens of thousands of local
residents were fleeing Myanmar every week, that they were facing violence,
intimidation and destruction of their property and belongings, and that news were
appearing that they could no longer live in their homes because of pressures.
Moreover, Medicins Sans Frontieres said that nearly 7,000 Rohingyas including
730 children were killed within a month in 2017, that the actual number could
be higher than its estimation, and that military and security personnel and
military-supported groups and people’s militia raped hundreds of Rohingya
women.
4. The report
also stated that the government had no means to guarantee a safe return of the
residents as it could not control the Tatmadaw and that although the government
is nearly two years old, except from forming committees it could not do
anything to improve the civil rights and humanitarian issue of the Rohingya in
Myanmar. The Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services is enlarging the
conflict with ethnic groups without any restrictions and threatening and
disturbing the peace process. For the first time in many years, more military
jets are being used to cause more civilian deaths and injuries. The
military-appointed ministries are terribly disturbing and destroying the reform
proposals of the democratically elected government.
5. The report
continuously uses the term “Rohingya” which is totally unacceptable for all the
people of Myanmar. The accusations made in the report are the same old ones
that have been made since the start of the Rakhine issue. Press meets and the
press releases of the government have already declared that the said
accusations are wrong and the Tatmadaw True News Information Team has released
for ten times the true situation of Rakhine issue.
6. In fact the
conflicts broke out in Buthidaung-Maungtaw region of Rakhine State in 2012,
2016 and 2017 after Myanmar democracy transition in 2010 were not started by
ethnic natives or security forces including the Tatmadaw. They were ignited by
the illegal migrants who have been unlawfully living in the area for many
consecutive years. The 2012 crisis broke out when Bengalis raped a native
Rakhine woman and the 2016-2017 conflict broke out when armed terrorist group
launched synchronized attacks against the police border guard headquarters and
police outposts. During the conflict, nine Tatmadaw members, 21 police security
personnel totalling 30 and 21 natives, 52 Hindus, 51 Muslims totalling 124 lost
their lives. Ethnic natives and Hindus became homeless as they had to flee
their homes. The government and the Tatmadaw have already released information
about the events. ARSA, an extremist terrorist group has already committed that
it launched all the terrorist attacks. ARSA also brutally murdered people of
its own race and religion in Buthidaung-Maungtaw region. The government and the
Tatmadaw conveyed the diplomats, local media persons and international media
persons to conflict zones to know the truth. Sadly the report totally ignored
the terrorist acts of terrorist and made one-sided accusations against the
security forces doing their work in accord with the law. During the terrorist
attacks occurred on 26 August 2017, about 4,000 extremist ARSA terrorist launched
a well-planned attacks using excessive force. The conflicts have complicated
and long historical backgrounds. This must be known. After the 1824 First
Anglo-Myanmar War the British government imported from the Bengal region of
India to use as farm labourers in Rakhine State. They settled in the state and
their population grew. Rakhine-Bengali conflict started when those Bengalis
attacked and drove out native ethnics from their homeland. 152 Rakhine villages
were destroyed in Alethankyaw incident in 1942 which displaced over 100,000
Rakhine people and left over 20,000 dead. Mujahid armed insurgency and Rohingya
National Liberation Army emerged after Myanmar gained independence, and
attempted to establish Buthidaung, Maungtaw and Rathaedaung townships in
Rakhine State as Arkistan or Rohingya State. Every country in the world has its
own citizenship laws and citizenship eligibility criteria, and as citizenship
will be granted to eligible ones only through citizenship verification process,
they were time and again urged to accept citizenship verification process, but
they have rejected so far. And it is undeniable truth of the history that they
have tried every trick in the book including violence to establish Buthidaung
and Maungtaw as their foothold, stronghold and liberated area step by step.
7. Extremist
terrorists launched coordinated attacks on a border police headquarters and
three police outposts on 9 October, 2016, in which ten police were killed, five
injured and 68 firearms and ammunitions were lost. During the unrest, 79 locals
were killed and 37 went missing.
8. In the terror
attack on 25 August, 2017, extremist terrorists led by ARSA launched
coordinated attacks in 37 villages including an army headquarter and 30 police
stations, with 500 to 700 residents in each place with swords, spears,
improvised explosive devices and other weapons.
There were 38
engagements in single day, and one security personnel, ten policemen, a staff
member of Immigration Department, totalling 12 were killed, and scores were
injured, and six small firearms were seized from police outposts by Bengali
terrorists.
9. To
investigate if security personnel responded in line with existing laws and
procedures, Rule of Engagement (ROE), and instructions of Commander-in-Chief (Army)
Office as regards to 2016 October attack, the 12-member Rakhine State
Investigation led by Vice-President U Myint Swe was formed on 1 December, 2016,
a Tatmadaw investigation body led by Lt-Gen Aye Win of Commander-in-Chief
(Army) Office on 17, February, 2017 and another investigation body led by
Police Brig-Gen Win Tun of Myanmar Police Force on February 9, 2017.
Actions were
taken in line with law in three cases discovered by the Tatmadaw investigation
body. The investigation body led by Lt-Gen Aye Win was also assigned to
investigate if Tatmadawmen performed their duties in line with law regarding
August incident in 2017. Moreover, field investigation was made and action was
taken in response to the case of Inn Din Village.
10. Tatmadaw
investigation body met and questioned 195 ethnic people from two ethnic
villages, 205 Hindu villagers from two Hindu villages, and 2,817 villagers from
54 Bengali villages, totalling 3,217 residents in Buthidaung and Maungtaw
townships, and could collect the testimony of 804 witnesses. According to the
hard evidence found by the Tatmadaw investigation body, at least 10,000 to
maximum 20,000 residents participated in attacks on police outposts on 25,
August, 2017 though the number was first estimated to be just around 4,000.
After 9 October attack, ARSA extremist terrorist leader Ataullah appointed
terrorist leaders in villages and village-tracts. The name list of those
leaders has been exposed. Through those leaders, terrorist groups were formed
on a wide scale based on Mawlawi and village administrators. Those who are
close to government departments, those who rejected giving allegiance to or
joining the terrorist group, and those refused to attend the terrorism training
were brutally killed by slitting their throats. Moreover, residents were forced
to swear by the Quran to join the terrorist group, and as a result, the
majority of villagers in every Bengali village were forced to join the
terrorist group.
11. According to
the accounts of 2,817 villagers of 54 Bengali villages and testimony of 362
villagers of 105 Bengali villages, it was found that security personnel did not
commit extrajudicial killings or sexually abuse and rape women. There was no
unlawful detention of people, beating, killing and arson as well. According to
the testimony of the villagers in conflict area, terrorist leaders at different
levels made preparation and ordered simultaneous attacks.
The attack was
not successful though hardcore members of ARSA extremist terrorists, many
villagers and even the children joined the attack. So ARSA extremist terrorists
set fire to houses and fled to Bangladesh first. They also threatened, coerced
and persuaded other villagers to flee to Bangladesh, and many fled as a result,
it was found.
12. Extremist
terrorists arrested 52 Hindu residents of Ye Bauk Kya Village and 53 Villagers
of Kha Maung Seik (South) Village on 25, August, 2017, and looted their property,
and broke apart altars and Buddha images and burned down citizenship scrutiny
cards.
They cruelly
tortured 45 residents of Ye Bauk Kya Village, and made them lay by pits and
brutally slit their throats in front of Hindu women from Ye Bauk Kya Village
and eight women from Kha Maung Seik (South) Village. Of 105 abducted Hindu
followers, 60 remain missing whereas remaining Hindu women were forced to
convert to Islam and brought to Bangladesh. Moreover, a group of terrorists
attacked and set fire to seven Mro ethnics from Khonetine Village, Badaka
Village-tract, Maungtaw Township, on 29 August. It was found that with the
intent to gain power and influence, ARSA extremist terrorists killed a total of
131 local ethnics, Hindus and Bengalis by slitting their throats. Although ARSA
extremist residents terrorists committed genocide and ethnic cleansing on a
minority of ethnic people in Buthidaung-Maungtaw region, those who living at
refugee camps of the other country, as instructed by them, accused the Myanmar
Tatmadaw of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing when foreign diplomats and
journalists made visits there.
13. The Tatmadaw
acted in line with the existing military and civilian laws during the Rakhine
crisis. An investigation team led by a lieutenant general was formed to check
whether security troops committed crimes or not. The team made practical field
trips and announced their findings in a transparent manner. Action was taken
against those security forces who committed such a crime in accord with the
existing laws. The duties of the commander of Western Command, who took charge
of Rakhine security affairs, were terminated as he had weaknesses in his
actions over the issue. Legal action was taken against seven officers and other
ranks and three police members in line with the existing laws. Civilians who
got involved in the case faced legal actions at respective civilian courts.
Action is being taken against residents in accord with the existing laws as
well. Despite these efforts, mistakes of individuals are being exaggerated and
accusations have erupted that the whole Tatmadaw committed a crime.
14. The Tatmadaw
carries out state defence and security duties systematically only after
presenting reports to the government. In the Rakhine conflict, as directed by
the government, the Tatmadaw reduced from military operation to security and
control operation. The government for its part is making plans to reaccept the
returnees who fled to the other country after the Buthidaung-Maungtaw conflict
and carry out national verification process in accord with the law. Actually,
those residents fled to the other country only after 5 September 2017 when
there were no more clashes. As the majority were close to ARSA extremist
terrorists, they fled for fear of investigation and legal action or due to the
persuasion that they would have the chance to go to third country. Talking
about the family members of an offender, according to figures from the Labour,
Immigration and Population Ministry in 2016, a family has 20 to 30 members on
average. So there would be 200,000 family members if there were 10,000
attackers. Therefore, they might have fled together with their family members
and relatives. Tatmadaw members are law-abiding citizens who stick to four
oaths to even sacrifice their lives for the state and the people and who follow
existing state laws, international laws and military laws. In the 2008 State
Constitution, Section 338 states that All the armed forces in the Union shall
be under the command of the Defence Services while Section 341 says that the
Defence Services shall render assistance when calamities that affects the Union
and its citizens occur in the Union. According to these provisions, the
Tatmadaw is protecting the administrative machinery, rule of law and all the
people from the danger of terrorists. There were no orders and actions leading
to violations of the existing laws. But legal action was taken against those
who made mistakes amid their eagerness to protect the local and ethnic people.
When it comes to the internal peace process, the Tatmadaw worked patiently in
the hope of achieving eternal peace that the country really needs, and ten
ethnic armed groups have signed the NCA so far. The Tatmadaw exactly follows
the already agreed points and the NCA provisions based on the six-point peace
policy of the Tatmadaw. Practically, the Tatmadaw is working together with the
people in ethnic areas by placing emphasis on regional peace and ending
conflict.
15. A PBS news
crew based in Thailand made an interview with some members of ARSA terrorist
group who are staying at the camps in Cox’s Bazar on the Bangladesh-Myanmar
border. In their news story, they said groups of five had been formed under
ARSA. Members of those groups had to do what the leader they had never seen
asked. In every of 40 villages in Maungtaw, there were 100 to 200 ARSA members.
They were holding discussion about a plan to form an ARSA extremist terrorist
group with those living abroad. The story was published in February this year.
16. Deputy
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander in Chief (Army) Vice-Senior
General Soe Win received Mr. Stavros Limbrinidis, an EU special representative
for Human Rights, and party at the Bayintnaung Villa on 5 March evening. Both
sides discussed attacks by ARSA extremist terrorists in Rakhine State in 2012
and 2016 and 25 August 2017, the reasons why hundreds of thousands of fled to
Bangladesh, the response of fleeing residents and the other country to the
Myanmar government’s preparations to re-accept them, the reasons why they don’t
want to be back to Myanmar, the exaggerated news released by international
media, diplomats and NGOs and the other country, actions of Tatmadaw and
security troops in their clearance operations in line with the orders and
instructions, investigation over following of the rules and orders and actions
against some Tatmadawmen and members of security force who failed to abide by
the rules. During the discussion, evidential documentary photos were also
shown.
17. The one-sided
accusations of British MPs who turn a blind eye to the real situation although
there has a lot of strong evidence will badly impact the Tatmadaw’s
implementation of rule of law process, state security and participation in the
democracy transition in accord with the Rules of Engagement (ROE) over the
decisions followed by the EU Foreign Affairs Committee’s meeting; the
government’s rehabilitation of Buthidaung-Maungtaw area and re-acceptance of
victims. Those accusations may create misunderstanding among international and
local organisations which have helped the country’s internal peace-building and
peace-making process and general public. It is needed tow correctly review the
real situation of this issue to make a fair compulsion and decision that is expected
to bring about tangible progress for the Rakhine issue.
Tatmadaw True
News Information Team
(Myawady Daily)
Ref; The Global
New Light of Myanmar
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