Buthidaung, Arakan State: One nine-year-old Rohingya student, was killed and another, eight –years-old, was rendered unconscious by a school guard on January 10, at about 8:00 pm, while on the way home after their annual school farewell party at Myoma Zedidaung Middle School, according to a close relative of the victim.
The students are identified as, Ma Asma, alias Khin Ma Cho (9), daughter of Maulana Yunus and Ma Hawthiza (7), daughter of Hafez Mohammed Hussain, from the village of Zabber Para, of Buthidaung, northern Arakan State. They were from class II of Zedidaung Middle School.
The two little girls joined the annual school farewell party at 2:00pm on January 10, which finished at 5:00pm. However, the school guard kept the two students after the school event until dark and tried to snatch the ear rings of Hawtiza while the two students were trying to go home, according to the injured child.
The two students screamed for help but the guard strangled Asma to death and beat Hawtiza with his bare hands. He kept the two students in the bushes at the bottom of a hill, near the school.
Their parents, accompanied by other relatives, went to the school to look for their daughters when they did not return home by 9 pm. However, on the way, they heard a cry from Haetiza. They rushed to the spot and found that the 9-year-old girl was already dead and the 7-year-old was lying on the road unconscious. There were many wounds on the bodies, according to another relative of the victims.
The dead girl was buried after receiving permission from the authorities and the other child received medical treatment at the Buthidaung General Hospital.
She was released on January 12.
The authorities arrested the school guard after the child’s release.
Kaladan Press has learned that he is still in custody but has not been charged.
