Officials meet with villagers affected by violence

Officials meet with villagers affected by violence
by -
Kaladan Press

A high level meeting attended by a delegation led by Arakan State Chief Minister U Hla Maung Tin and other high ranking officials took place in Gudusara village recently in response to an alleged massacre committed by Rakhine civilians and security forces in the nearby village of Kilai Dong.

AP reported that during last week’s  violence in Maungdaw south a " mob kills more than a dozen Muslims". Rights groups have claimed that number is much higher.  

One villager who attended the recent meeting told Kaladan Press Network women from Kilai Dong village were present at the meeting. More than 200 women who tried to attend the meeting were initially blocked by security forces claimed sources, but eventually they were allowed in.   

The minister of border affairs, three foreigners, Master Jahingir; state Parliamentary for Arakan state, Dr. Boshir; USDP member for Buthidaung and Mohamed Rofique, USDP member in Buthidaung were among the attendees, sources said.  

During the meeting villagers, particularly females, were queried about last week’s events in Kilai Dong village.

One woman reported heard gunshots. “We heard the sounds of gun fired, and later we found out how many villagers have been killed including men, women and children. Our properties were also looted. We didn’t know a police sergeant was killed.”

The woman told the assembly about how the villagers are now homeless and sleeping in rice fields under the “open sky”.

Another woman told of beatings and being forced to board police trucks.

 “On that day, many villagers had been killed and some were forcibly loaded on four trucks after being beaten severely and brought to Maungdaw police station. But later one truck of women and children returned to other neighboring village, not to original village, and the remaining three trucks of male and female villagers’ location is not known to villagers. We do not know how many people were dead.”

The delegation returned to Maungdaw Town the same day where another meeting with officers from across Maungdaw Township at the District Administration office took place. A third meeting reportedly took place in the Township Administration office. A press release was made available the following day.