U Aung Myint Soe, district administration officer, U Kyi San, township administration officer, Lt. Col. U Shwe Than, district police officer and Col. Tin Ko Ko, Hluntin director, administered the removal of security forces and ethnic Rakhines also occupying the village, said an officer from Maungdaw who requested his name not be used for security concerns.

Other high level Maungdaw officers involved included Master Jangir (Aung Myo Min); member of region and state parliament, Yousuf-Block; second administration officer and Mawzullah.

Aung Myo Min and two other Rohingya organized 30 villagers from Gawdusara village to go to Kila Dong and pose as residents when the inquiry commission arrived, the officer said.  

At the time of press it unknown if the inquiry commission that arrived on Friday met with the real villagers.  

Halim, a Maungdaw human rights watchdog, told Kaladan Press Network the purpose of the inquiry commission is to meet the affected villagers and investigate the Jan. 13 violence until now.

The problems in Kila Dong started after the alleged disappearance of a police sergeant. Soon after Rakhine mobs and security reportedly attacked the remaining villagers, mostly elders, women and children. Security forces sealed off the area and sent patrols to arrest the men who went into hiding.  

The UN claims it has credible evidence that 48 Muslims were killed; rights groups say the number could be even higher.

Last Wednesday during a visit to Kla Dong by U Hla Maung Tin, Arakan State chief minister, villagers asked what will happen to them if the alleged missing sergeant is not found. The chief minister told them to stay in their village, but didn’t answer their question, Halim said.

An anonymous Maungdaw school teacher wondered if the inquiry commission will allow the villagers will able to stay in their destroyed village with no homes or food.