Survived Brutality, Physically Tortured and Threatened; The Traumatic Journey of a Rohingya amid Arakan Army (AA) and Military Council Relentless Violence.

By: Abdur Rahman

A 30 years old, Mohammed Reyas son of Esup, married and there are five members in his family including he, his wife and three sons and his first son is 5 years old now and others are under 5 years, and lived in Shweza, Maungdaw and works as daily labor for the survival, was shot to disabled and completely damaged his life under the trap of Arakan Army (AA) and the military council. Reyas faced tragic condition while he was heading to cross the border of Bangladesh due the extensive conflict and tortures led amidst AA and military war in Maungdaw, Arakan state.

On 5th August 2024 when the Arakan Army (AA) has started artillery attack and heavy guns firing alike drones, missiles and bombs and such attacks were continued for three days, 5th, 6th and 7th August in township area where majority local people are Rohingya Muslim. During heavy guns firing and the attack people could not go anywhere to get the survival aids.

“On 9th August, the whole township was surrounded by AA troops and I need to go to village named Fayezi Fara to get some rations for my family as the starvation of my family was unbearable to me” rather during the attack hundreds of Rohingya people dead including children, women and detent arbitrarily the youths” said Mohammed Reyas.

The alleged attacks on Rohingya people in Maungdaw and Buthidaung by AA troops in the key cities of Rakhine State is worse than 2017 and it is “2^nd wave of genocide” said Wai Wai Nu (Director of Women Peace Network in Myanmar).

The Arakan Army and the military council both are responsible for thousands of dead Rohingya in war during the attacks in Arakan state, Myanmar said Tun Khin (President of Burmese Rohingya Organization UK).

However, the Arakan Army (AA) denied the involvement of attack in a statement that “the occurrences and deaths are in our areas and this matter is out of the organization by CNN.

“AA forces were patrolling everywhere and keep watching the whole town by the snipers from distance as well” and moreover, if the Arakan Army (AA) see anyone on the road or elsewhere, they do not care that men, women and children and he or she must be shot death or slaughtered on the spot,” Said Mohammed.

The plan, I made very wisely but did not work as I wish, I was caught by AA troops shot a bullet on my right leg within the road of Shweza and Fayezi Fara and tortured me for more than 3 to 4 hours and became unconscious. When I become conscious AA left me there with my injured body.

Finally, During the evening, I arrived home by scrawling and on 10th August, we vacated our village and took shelter at Maungdaw high school-2 where the military council troops were living as a camp and there was no food, no medicine, no safe water and treatment for wounded people and everything were very expensive and my family had to take care with first aid and homemade remedy and we survived there for more than 10 days.

Reyas said, “More than 10 days after the attack of AA, I forgot the exact date, people left the High school and start walking to Farangfuru village everywhere were AA troops are guarding but they did not block the road, even did not say a single word and the villagers gave us shelter at Ashikka Fara primary school for a day and provided us essential food”.

People who have money, take boat and cross the Naf river to Bangladesh after a day but the ferry man demands per head 4 lakh Kyats, I managed the amount by selling my wife betrothal and completed the deal with a harbour-master and crossed the Naf river and reached to Bangladesh but unfortunately we got caught at the hand of Bangladesh Refiles so-called (BDR) and kept us in their camp for a day.

Despite pushed us back to Myanmar again by BDR after a day by a boat and released us shore when my family and I have nothing in our hand even a thousand Kyats and nothing for survival as well. A ferry man found us and brought home and demanding money and started torturing me mentally and physically. And took 1 lakh taka debt from a relative family to send to us again to Bangladesh safely as I had no other option except entering Bangladesh for my medical treatment.

Now, living in camp-10 at my brother shelter who fled Myanmar during 25th August 2017 clearance operation against the Rohingya community and where no income source as I’m not able to do anything with my injured leg and my family and I did not get any kind of support from NGOs, INGOs and government.

According to Amnesty International, the Rohingya people are again being subjected of brutality, physically tortured and facing intensifying conflict between Arakan Army (AA) and military council and the attacking. The destructive drone and aerial attacks by AA troops devastated many innocent lives and have killed hundreds of Rohingya civilians. Although destroyed homes, marketplaces and Civilians infrastructures. Mostly the military council and AA were used the civilians’ areas as battlefield and forcefully conscripting the Rohingya youths to fight by their side.

The Fortify Rights demanded for urgent investigation on perpetrators so-called Arakan Army (AA) to International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) and also stated that they documented the discriminate and disproportional attacks on Rohingya people of 5th and 6th August 2024 in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine state, according to Fortify Rights.

According to TRT world recent report, the Rohingya people who fled the relentless violence of AA and the military council in Maungdaw and Buthidawn township Rakhine state, Myanmar. More than hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas were taken shelters in different camps and additionally it is stated that, the repatriation of Rohingya refugee will not end as the both groups are targeting the Rohingya community to exterminate from Arakan land and escalating violence on Rohingya people.