Interviews of Rakhine/Arakanese victims of the Bengali Muslims

RAKHINE VIEWS OF BENGALIS / WHAT TO DO WITH THE BENGALIS

One thing I can tell you now is that I am not going back to teach again, in that area, because all of my students are Bengalis. Thats why its too risky for my life. Staying there to teach them is like gardening plants like poison ivy or castor bean plants which will harm you one day. I don't care if they (the government) fires me for requesting job transfer. As far as I know, all teachers are very disappointed and scared to go back to teach them (Bengali children). I have devoted my life to the education, development and wellness of Muslim populations in those villages by sacrificing my family life. Yesterday while I was running to hide on the mountain, I realized that I would be killed by those Bengalis. A Rakhine female teacher from Kyeintali _________________________________________________________________________ I would like to request to the local authorities: please take care of the local Arakanese and give us enough security. And I would also like to say to the Bengalis that they should go back to their original place where they come from because this is not their land. Kyaw Naing, teacher in Sittwe _________________________________________________________________________ I feel very upset and angry with the Bengali Muslims. My hatred and anger upon them will not be forgotten because we were inhumanely treated and brutally killed by those to whom we have taught and guided. The Bengalis live on our soil, and threaten our way of living peacefully, and then they kill our people. So, I have very deep and bitter feelings about them and my hatred and animosity towards them will not fade away, and I will never forget this deadly incident. So, I will share this bitter experience with our new generations. In my opinion, the Bengalis are like ogres and ghosts that are very cruel and dont have any sympathy for other people and faiths, and they dont even mind killing people. In fact, they are like wild animals.They can even viciously kill their own teachers. Htwan Marm Latt, teacher, from Kyauk-phyru, but teaching in Rawthaitkay _____________________________________________________________________ I feel they (Bengali Muslims) are cruel people. It is because Mawlawi religious leaders use the religion (Islam) to preach to their followers that it is acceptable to kill non-Muslims, in fact, they will be awarded by Allah for killing infidels. And, these Muslims cant question or object the words of their holy book (the Quran). They are taught that people who have doubts, or raise questions about the readings will suffer greatly for questioning Allahs message. For those reasons, I totally reject these cruel Bengalis. I will tell the stories about how we have suffered by the evils of these Bengalis; we will tell our sons and daughters, and our grandkids before we die. Mun Htwan - manual laborer, Mungan quarter, Sittwe _____________________________________________________________________ In my opinion, the Bengalis are very rude, cruel, and evil and they dont even know what gratitude or compassion is. They even kill their benefactors and teachers. They are animals of a very aggressive and terrifying nature. Hmwe Tha - 86 year-old grandmother, Nay-Bi-Sate village, Maungdaw Township 1

RAKHINE VIEWS OF BENGALIS / WHAT TO DO WITH THE BENGALIS

What would you like to say regarding the Bengali Muslims? Presently, the authorities are arresting, investigating and interrogating those who are entering Burma illegally. Prisoners confessed that they had a plan to occupy Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Rathaydaung townships on August 1st, 2012, and that they would occupy Sitetway later. Then they will make demands of the government. This is exposed from their confessions to the authorities. When we learned of their brutal conspiracy, I was amazed. First, I had compassionately saved them and then let them go, as I assumed they are my neighbors and I felt pity upon them. But they have exploited our kind mentality and tried to dominate not only Arakan State, but all of Burma. That is why I abhor these Bengalis. They are showing their real intentions by acquiring and stockpiling weapons, so that they can attack Arakanese villages anytime. For that reason, we formed our own patrols to watch out for the village's safety. We have not slept well since the day of the riot. We sleep for a while in the daytime. At night, we must be awake, because we are the security for the village. U Hla Wong - Shwe Byar quarter of Sittwe _________________________________________________________________________ It is very disturbing that the media coverage is wrong. We, in the field, saw what actually happened with with our own eyes. The Bengalis are the ones who set fire to our houses, and they even burnt some of their own houses if they were close to many Arakanese houses so that the fire would spread quickly to those Arakanese homes. That is like hitting many birds with one stone. Likewise, we have seen similar terror news in other parts of the world. One suicide bomber can cause many deaths, sometimes including people on his side. The Bengalis stay and live on our land, but they terrorize us. They are people who do not understand tolerance and respect, indeed. Thein May - mother, Balikone, Kone Dan Quarter, Sittwe _________________________________________________________________________ Setting fire to the houses of innocent people and the local community is not proper for anybody or any religion, but, this is happening in Arakan because we have deceitful people in our land. Our ancestors hosted these people and now we are suffering from their terror. Thus, to avoid these kind of events from happening again to our next generation, these terrorist-minded people should be sent out of Rakhine State. To have sustainable peace and security in our land, these savage demon-minded terrorists should not exist on our land. We have also proposed this to our officials. What is your message to the international community regarding this crisis upon the Rakhine people? Rakhine State is a land in which multiple ethnicities and religions have coexisted peacefully. We have been living here harmoniously with others (Christians, Hindus, animist, other Muslim groups) like they are our siblings. But these Bengalis are not like humans - they are intolerant demons which spill human blood and inflict pain and suffering on others. Thus, we must resist them. U Kumara - monk, near Sittwe

RAKHINE VIEWS OF BENGALIS / WHAT TO DO WITH THE BENGALIS

It is impossible for the Bengalis and the Arakanese to live together. The best solution is that the Bengalis and Arakanese must be separated and then they wont need to communicate with each other. If we continue living as we have been, horrific conflicts will certainly erupt again. Moreover, our new young generation will be outraged by the Bengalis. The huge Bengali slaughter of the Arakanese in 1942 is repeating again. Kyaw Zun Hla - retired, Gudaung Village. Now is chairman of charitable committee for the refugee camps in Rathaydaung Township _________________________________________________________________________ We always have to stay alert because of the callousness and vicious nature of the Bengalis. It is very important to inform the new generation about the Bengalis. The Bengalis dont know what tolerance is and they dont have any hesitation to harm and kill, even those who try to help them. They are very cruel, inferior and they have the attitude of superiority and intolerance. I especially would like to warn the new generation that they should not live with the Bengalis together any more, for their own safety. Maung Lone Phru - 81 year-old grandmother, Pauk Phru Prung village, Rathaydaung Township _________________________________________________________________________ These Bengalis are cruel people. They don't even know how to show gratitude and to respect those who help them. They are happy to practice violence and to terrify others. In this recent eruption these Bengalis secretly organized their plan and then attacked the Arakanese. Now the lives, properties, and the future of Arakanese are in danger. We, Arakanese will not bow to their brutal violence and demands. We will respond as much as we need to. We gave them a chance to them to live and work here on humanitarian grounds.. We won't stay together with these kind of people, who are so intolerant and so deceitful. Their conducts is so cruel and so rude. Their religion teaches them violence. Then, they don't hesitate to kill people. For Arakanese, we show mercy even upon a dangerous animal. For those reasons, our two races can't connect with each other. Their minds are so canny and always being like a banyan tree, thinking to swallow another tree. Or, similarly, always thinking to dominate a nation, a race or a region. That is why we should be segregated from them. Wong Thein - goldsmith, Mungan Quarter, Sittwe