Battle news and Burmese Army’s War Crimes (Feb 1 and Feb 2, 2019)

http://arakan.army/battle-news-and-burmese-armys-war-crimes-feb-1-and-feb-2-2019/

In the evening around 6:30 PM in February 1st, 2019, a ten-minute long fighting between Arakan Army and Burmese Army broke out near Kharu Chaung village and Ragaung Chaung village in Rathedaung Township.

The following morning from 8:47 AM to 10:42 AM in February 2nd, another exchange of fire broke out near Kyauk Tan village and Reboat village in Rathedaung Township. The Burmese army suffered great casualties during the fighting and Arakan army was able to seize arms and ammunitions from battalion (566) of the Burmese Army.

In addition, Arakan Army also captured their ration including bags of rice, beans and Shwe Phe Oo tea sachets at one-kilometer distance from southwest of Pa Ka Wa village in Paletwa Township. During the past few months, Arakan Army seized their rations three times excluding this.

After intersecting the ration support lines of the Burmese Army, we have found that the Burmese Army intimidated and forced the villagers to transport rations from the Pa Ka Wa villagers and Mwe Hlaing Wa villagers to their supply lines. On humanitarian grounds, we have let the villagers go unharmed, after stopping the rations from going over to the Burmese Army.

The Burmese Army has been witnessed to have committed war crimes for they have used civilians to transport rations for their supply. They made use of the civilians to find ways on their military routes while using the civilians as human shields from attack.

A clear evidence happened on 2 February when they took away and used as human shields three people from Kyauk Tan village, Rathedaung Township, namely (1) U Kyaw Sein Than (aged 51) (2) Maung Lone Shay (aged 30) (3) Maung Than Hlaing (aged 32). Eyewitnesses gave confirmation that a Burmese convoy of about 70 troops took them away towards “Hlaing Gwan Gyi” creek.

Arakan Army encourages the human rights documenters to keep vigilant about the Burmese Army’s war crimes during these days so that they can be reported to international human rights watch groups.

Precious belongings of Arakanese villagers are looted by Myanmar Army

List of villagers looted by Myanmar Army

Myanmar Army is known as a war criminal force. In the Myanmar Army, from top to below,

every  solider commits war crime while fighting against ethnic armed

groups in so-called Myanmar. They rape women and minor girls. They kill ethnic

people even pregnant women. They steal things even house breeding animals

like cocks, hens, pigs, goats and cows while launching attacks against the ethnic armed

List of villagers looted by Myanmar Army

groups. Therefore, in so-called Myanmar, people call Myanmar Army as rapist and

dacoit army. Recently, Myanmar leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, called for her notorious Army

to crush Arakan Army in the lost Arakan to Myanmar( western Myanmar) on 7.1.2019.Therefore,

Myanmar Army was licensed to kill, loot, steal and rape Arakanese people.

On 26.1.2019, Arakan Army ambushed Myanmar Army near the bridge behind the Thamee Hla

village, in northern Arakan ,killing at least twenty Myanmar soldiers. After ambush and clash has

calmed down, Myanmar soldiers, instead of following Arakan soldiers to fight again, entered into  

Thamee Hla village instructing all villagers to leave houses for gathering at village school.

While villagers were gathering at village school, Myanmar soldiers broke in house after house in

the village. Scattering things in the houses, Myanmar soldiers stole monies and gold jewelry from villagers’ houses.

Local media and BBC reported this on 28.1.2019 but Myanmar or Burma media still intentionally

omitting the fact of stealing and looting of Myanmar soldiers.

The oppressed Arakan in their own land under the Myanmar rule

Myanmar Army started to launch offensive attacks against the Arakan Army in the

lost Arakan to Myanmar - western Myanmar- four years ago when Arakan Army gained

control of its strongholds and Sub-Headquarters in Arakan after it based  Headquarters

in liberated area of Kachin Independent Army in Northern Myanmar .There were over

160 clashes between the Arakan Army and Myanmar Army since then according

 to local media. 

Nowadays, Myanmar Army has intensified its attacks by using

air force in Northern Arakan. During the period of attacks of Myanmar Army,

there are Internally Displaced Persons of numbers increase from hundreds to thousands

and human rights violation committed by Myanmar Army looms from bad to

worst. Arakanese are accused, beaten and arrested without evidences by

Myanmar Army. Villagers in the hill area and battle zone are afraid to use mobile

phones because if they use them, Myanmar Army  accused villagers reporting and

informing of the situation of the battle ground to AA.  Roughly, twenty persons

including a village administrator are already arrested because of using mobile phone.

In this week, Myanmar Army is shelling bombs over the villages in northern Arakan.

Elder and young brother injured seriously when Myanmar Army shelled bomb on their

house in Maung Taw Township which is border with Bangladesh. The two brothers’ house

was burn to ground but no Myanmar government officer comes forward for responsibility and

accountability. Moreover, a bangle speaking Muslim was  killed and one other was gotten injure respectively by bomb and bullet fired by Myanmar Army.

Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is now in war against the Arakan Army

After Myanmar leader a Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi called for her notorious

Myanmar Army to crush the Arakan Army by using air force on 7.1.2019, military chief

Min Aung Haling reinforced his combatants (over 5000 troops) into northern Arakan , western so-called Myanmar. In Myanmar, If ethnic armed groups except Arakan Army attack Myanmar military, every civilian government including NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi never call for their Army to launch operations to eliminate armed groups.

It is never before in history that Aung San Suu Kyi herself is now in war against the Arakan Army and Myanmar civilian government is hand in hand with military to wage war against the Arakan Army. As we all know, Army and Police in Myanmar are not true to their duty and Myanmar Army is considered to be one among the worst in the world. Therefore, ICC is attempting to take legal action against the culprit Myanmar leaders.

Nowadays, even if more than 5000 internally displaced persons in four townships in northern Arakan are without sufficient food and shelters in cruel climate, Myanmar Army is blocking food shipments to them. Relief workers and humanitarian workers are also treated as unwanted men by Myanmar Army. On the other hand, Myanmar Army is also shelling bombs near the villages and hills. Moreover, local youths are being beaten and punched by Myanmar Army’s soldiers when they were accused as members of Arakan Army.

UN and international organizations are just about to access humanitarian help on the ground and urge Myanmar Army and Arakan Army to find peaceful solution.

Myanmar Army arrests village administrator and medical officer after using villagers as human shield in battle

Myanmar Army and police are persecuting villagers from Re Gaung Chaung village,

in northern Arakan, where there are ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and

Arakan Army. Since November, number of clashes was occurring in northern Arakan everyday

after Myanmar Army launched offensive attacks against the Arakan Army by using air force

and long rang mortars like howitzer artilleries therefore villages in northern Arakan particularly strife-torn Re Gaung Chaung village was hit bombs and mortars by Myanmar Army. Moreover, villagers, village administrator and medical officer from Re Gaung Chaung were arrested after Myanmar soldiers raided village and forced entire villagers to leave their village for monastery  on 28.12.2018.

Before raiding Re Gaung Chaung, eleven villagers from Say Taung were forced to walk in front of Myanmar soldiers. That is to say that Myanmar Army used them as human shield in the battlefield. Local media like RFA and The Irrawaddy telephoned Ye Gaung Chaung’s administrator and  he confirmed human shield used by Myanmar Army therefore he was soon arrested along with medical officer when his village was raided, looted and demolished.

In Re Gaung Chaung, there were 302 houses, 350 families, 690 males, 720 females and total population was 1410.  On Thursday, ICRC announced that there are over (1000) displaced villagers whom ICRC is assisting in the fighting area of northern Arakan, western so-called Myanmar. The same day, Arakan National Party released statement demanding Myanmar Army not to threaten villagers with force and not to frighten them off  and demanding also not to block humanitarian workers who help displaced persons caused by Myanmar Army offensive attacks against the Arakan Army.

  

Social workers and donors were blocked by Myanmar Army

Myanmar Army, on Friday, announced unilateral ceasefire from Dec-21 to April 30

in almost every commands except in the lost Arakan to Myanmar, Western command.

No sooner had Myanmar Army announced its ceasefire than it again started offensive

attacks against the Arakan Army in Arakan, western Myanmar.

According to local media, Between the Myanmar Army and Arakan Army , fighting is still

occurring everyday  after Myanmar Army declared ceasefire. Local people doubt that Myanmar

Army ceases fighting in most regions by declaring unilateral ceasefire is to eliminate Arakan Army because Arakan , western Myanmar, is exception of ceasefire announced by Myanmar Army and Myanmar Army reinforces its troops from where it ceases fighting to Arakan.

Due to Myanmar Army offensive attacks again and again, clashes happened between the Arakan Army and Myanmar Army near the India-Myanmar border yesterday. Just yesterday, in fear, villagers were fleeing with only cloth on their bodies, www.narinjara.com said.

Along with hundreds of others, new number of refugees was facing lack of food and shelters.

Therefore, donors went to reach where new refugees were helpless by waterway to donate

them but soldiers of Myanmar Army blocked and asked donors to leave all donations at their

hand. Donors refused to leave their donations at the hand of Myanmar soldiers and returned back sadly, local media said.

Myanmar air force strafes bombs on position of Arakan Army

Photo: youtube.com

Myanmar Army’s chief directed his Air force to attack Arakan Army which was holding position on the mountain range in Northern Arakan, western so-called myanmar,yesterday, local media said.

According to a local media, two military fighter jets flew and hovered over the mountain rang strafing position held by Arakan Army. Local standard time,

at 13:00 hours, the fighter jets were flying low over the mountain. Simultaneously,

strafed bombs and bullets from the fighter jets to the position of Arakan Army.

one of those bombs hit motorway and exploded. Villagers nearby motorway started

fleeing in fear. It was Myanmar Army which launched offensive attacks against the Arakan Army since November. With everyday clashes between the Myanmar Army and Arakan Army in the lost Arakan to Myanmar( western Myanmar), fighting has stepped into one month period.

During the period of one month of fighting, over 900 refugees were fleeing from their home

to nearby villages with just only cloth on their bodies.

                   

When Myanmar Army shelled, Arakanese villagers were to flee

Due to Myanmar Army’s offensive attacks against the Arakan Army in the lost

Arakan to Myanmar( western Myanmar), almost over 300 villagers from Phet

Wun Chaung village and Sa Bar Dhar village were to flee to nearby villages.

From last week of November to nearly second weeks of December, Myanmar Army

 was shelling bombs near the villages and hills by using mortars. In fear,

villagers fled from their homes to nearby villages with just only clothes on their bodies.

These refugees ( IDPs) are in the terrible predicament and facing lack of food and

shelters. There is offensive attack made by Myanmar Army against Arakan Army

does not seem to be ended. Therefore, fighting between the Arakan Army and Myanmar

Army will continue and IDPs will also be more and more numbers in the lost Arakan to

Myanmar.

Myanmar Army launches offensive attacks control of Arakan Army’s strongholds

It is an ongoing battle again that fierce engagements between the Arakan Army and Myanmar Army started from past one week to this moment in the lost Arakan to Myanmar, western Myanmar.

It is a series of clashes which occur at Myanmar- Bangladesh border and inside the lost Arakan to Myanmar while Myanmar Army intrudes Arakan Army’s controlled area.

Arakan Army information officer Khaing Thu Kha shares information with local media that Myanmar Army launched offensive attacks in the liberated area of Arakan Army since last week.

During the fierce clashes between the Arakan Army and Myanmar Army, huge amount of

firearms and ammunitions from Myanmar Army are seized and bodies of Myanmar soldiers are also collected by Arakan Army , officer Khaing Thu Kha said.

According to officer Khaing Thu Kha , who shares information with local medias , Arakan Army maintains its controlled areas and strongholds repelling enemies in the best way.

Arakan Army information officer also expresses that there will be photos and video about the seizure of arms and ammunitions of Myanmar Army and collection of bodies of Myanmar Soldiers on the Arakan Army’s social media next a few days.

The Serpent and the King: The Dutch-Arakanese Relationship (Re-submitting)

by Stephan Van Galen

Remains of Dutch factory in Mrauk U, Arakan

D.G.E. Hall, the eminent historian of Southeast Asia, in his ‘’Studies in Dutch relations with Arakan’’, was the first to point out the importance of the Dutch language sources for a study on the history of Arakan. Hall pieced together a preliminary overview of the Dutch-Arakanese relationship on the basis of the published Daghregisters or diaries of Batavia. In his history of Southeast Asia Hall even based his description of 17th century Arakan almost entirely on the Daghregister and further source publications: the Corpus Diplomaticum Neerlando-Indicum and De Jonge’’s Opkomst van het Nederlandsch gezag in Oost-Indie.