INTERVIEWS by RICK HEIZMAN

in NORTHERN BUTHIDAUNG TOWNSHIP

in September 2017, January, 2018, and October 2018

Su Chay
from Nga Ronk Chaung Village Tract (near Taung Bazar)
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in refugee camp in Buthidaung, Sept 2017
(Taung Bazar 1a)

We had to flee because Bengalis attacked us. We had

nothing to eat on the way. We survived because we met up
with security.

It has been many years that we have suffered like this. Our
children have hardships with education. They want to go to school, but they can't. We are
the minority here. We are in danger.

I are on how can we live in remote areas with this kind menace? Actually, we had to run
without sandals and extra clothes. We got donated clothes after arriving here in the camps.

Question: Did Bengalis destroy or burn things in your village?

Answer: At first they did not burn the village. But they destroyed everything after we fled our
village. We have nothing left. We have to start our lives from zero again.

Question: How about livestock or businesses?

Answer: We have lost our business. I am a shopkeeper. Nothing is left in my shop or house.
We will see that there is nothing when we go back to our village.

Question: How many people had to leave the village?

Answer: All the villagers had to flee. Bengalis chased all of us trying to kill us with swords.
We only survived because security forces arrived and shot guns in the air to frighten the
Bengali mob.

But, the Bengalis dared to even come near the police outpost. If we did not have security
forces we would all be dead and even out bodies might not be found.

We did not know which way to run. We had never dreamed this would happen to us. We had
never seen or experienced this kind of thing. We were close and friendly with the Bengalis,
we never thought that they would kill us like this.

Question: Didn't you get any warning about the coming attack?

Answer: No, they did not tell us anything about this.

Even the Bengali boy who used to come to our house tried to kill us. We saw him with our
own eyes.

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Su Chay
from Nga Ronk Chaung Village Tract (near Taung Bazar)
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar 1b)

[I first interviewed her in September, 2017]

I am Su Chay, from Nga Ronk Chaung Tract near Taung Bazar.

I work in Village Health Development. On August 25, 2017, in
the early morning Bengali Muslims launched huge coordinated
attacks. The big army base at Taung Bazar was attacked by
many hundreds of assailants. The gunfire awakened many Buddhist villagers, and lasted for
hours.

I didn’t think it was going to happen like this, and I had never experienced this kind of attack
before. As the morning light came my village came under attack. All the Buddhists from
various villages ran in panic to the police outpost on top of a hill. The police outpost was so
overwhelmed that they had to escort groups of people to other police outposts up and down
the Mayu river.

I never thought that this would happen. Ever since I was young I was very familiar with
Bengali people. We would play and eat together - no problem. I didn’t believe that they
would attack and kill like this. Even when I was awakened by gunfire in the distance I didn’t
think it was the Bengalis.

We lived in the police outpost for 15 days. The police had to make sure to have supplies
arriving to feed hundreds of us refugees. After 15 days they escorted us to the town of
Buthidaung. We had to live in a refugee camp at a Buddhist monastery - I had nothing, we
had to run so quickly from the Bengalis. Now I know, it is impossible to coexist together.

When I finally got back to my village and my home there was nothing - no house, no shop -
there was nothing left. So then I have to start from zero again. I have no idea how to survive
now, what to do now.

When I fled I couldn’t even grab some extra clothes. I had to ask other people for some
clothes to wear.

That’s why I pray not to live with them anymore. I don’t want to say that, but, what they did
was so bad. When we were young we were working together, going to school together,
eating together, no problem. But, now, they are a very big problem.

I didn’t know that in the Bengali mind, there is an animal element. I live in a Bengali part of
the village.Those who attacked us are all the villagers - they are all ARSA terrorists. When I
say that I am very sad, because, Bengali people and I grew up together. Now, I can tell you
what happened, because I didn’t die. If I had died, I wouldn’t have had the chance to tell you
about it. The police and the military saved my life.

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I am San Goe Aung / Sein Tun Aung
from Taung Bazar Village,
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in refugee camp in Buthidaung, Sept 2017
(Taung Bazar 2a)
On Thursday night (Friday morning) August 25, 2017, the
Bengali Muslims attacked several dozen police outposts and
army battalions in Maungdaw and Buthidaung.

In the morning around 9:00 AM, the Bengalis came to our

village. They were shouting they will kill all of us and make our
village into a Rohingya village.The villagers were afraid to run,
and we phoned the Army and implored them to save our lives.

We survived because the army troops arrived just in time. We had nowhere to run. The
Bengalis set landmines on the road. We walked the path near the graveyard.

When we arrived inside of the battalion base, around 500 Bengalis came and opened fire on
the base. When we arrived inside of the battalion base, around 500 Bengalis came and
opened fire on the base. They ran away when the army troops shot back with big guns.
When they retreated, they burned houses in the villages.

We are the minority now. Our Buddhist Rakhine villages only have 20 to 50 households while
Bengali villages have thousands of households in their villages. We can only live here with
better security and big villages.

The rescue assistance groups are helping us here. We stayed over 10 days in the army
battalion base, and moved here to the monastery. The Sayadaw (Senior Monk) helps us a lot.
If not, we will have many troubles.

We have had this kind of suffering many times. The so-called Rohingya terrorists are nothing
but the Bengali villagers themselves. They pretend like they are innocent villagers when the
authorities come to investigate. We feel very discouraged to encounter such terrible things
done by Bengalis in our own country.

Some houses were destroyed, some were not. An hour after we left our village, another
group of army troops went to our village to guard it. If not, Bengalis would have burned the
entire village.

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Sein Tun Aung / San Goe Aung
from Taung Bazar Village,
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar 2b)
[I first interviewed him in Sept 2017]

My name is Sein Tun Aung. On August 25, 2017, the

Bengali Muslims attacked the nearby Baung Daw Pyin
police outpost and the 552 Army headquarters. They also
attacked Nga Ronk Chaung police outpost, near the Health
Department. After the attackers failed to kill all the police
and army the Bengali terrorists came back to their village mosques in the morning for a
meeting, probably to discuss what to do next. We frightened Rakhine Buddhists took the
opportunity to run to the Buddhist monastery compound. After the Muslims finished their
mosque meeting they came out and attacked us. They were shouting such things as, “We
are Rohingya! This is Rohingya country! We don’t want any Rakhine Buddhists here! We will
kill you!”

As they were attacking us some of us who had sons or relatives in the army frantically called
them, pleading, “Come quickly! We will all be dead soon!” When some troops came they put
all of us in the school for safety. On our way there we saw many thousands of Bengalis
coming, with swords, knives and clubs. Soon the army officer said it is too dangerous to stay
in the school. So, the army escorted us over the mountain to the army headquarters. They
gave us food and shelter. The army saved our lives, otherwise we all would have been
slaughtered.

I didn’t think this would ever happen. The Bengalis were trying to steal all the land - our land.
They would destroy everything if they could - every non-Muslim village, government and
health departments, army bases, and police stations.

On our way to the army base some of our women were crying as they were slogging through
the mud in fear and panic - a lot of trouble from Bengalis. We cannot live together now.

Before [when we were young] we were living together, eating together, working together, no
problem, but now it’s impossible. All the Bengalis are now ARSA terrorists. They are always
trying to kill us - in their minds. Even the ARSA militants hide their faces, wearing masks -
because we would recognize them.

When my daughter arrived in my village, with army escorts, she told me the Bengalis had
even tried to kill her. She even yelled to the nearby police to shoot the attackers, but the
police were afraid to shoot! - they were so outnumbered. But, she was lucky, just then the
army troops arrived. If the military had not arrived then all of us would have been killed. Even
after the attacks were over we were afraid to live in our village again. That is why we moved
to Buthidaung, and stayed in a monastery.

When I did get back to my home there was nothing left inside - it was a destroyed mess. The
Bengalis took anything of value, and broke everything else. They are so cruel. It’s impossible
to have any coexistence with the Bengalis - if we live with them we will all die.

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U Maung Loon
from Taung Bazar,
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar 3)

My name is U Maung Loon. I am the village chief of Taung

Bazar. I am very grateful to have the chance to tell you
what happened in the attack last year, August 25, 2017.

[Note: The largest military base that was attacked on

August 25, 2017, was here, near Taung Bazar. The
Muslims staged large attacks in the whole area]

Before the attacks happened the Bengali Muslims were already plotting to do some violence.
Leading up to the attacks the Muslims killed a man who had informed the police and army of
the planning and plotting of violence. Also, in another Bengali village, Yin Ma village, the
Muslims killed two men accused of being informants. The Muslims were following their plan.

First, they terrorized and killed fellow Bengalis who didn’t agree with them and gave info to
the authorities. Then, they organized the village people to attack and fight the security
forces. They attacked first, then they lied to the world media, claiming that they were the
victims of the Burmese army, and that they were forced to flee to Bangladesh.

First - they attacked us. We did not attack them. The police and army did not attack them
first - they attacked all of us first. They knew it was their fault, and then they fled to
Bangladesh.

The Myanmar military and police, and the Myanmar nationality people did not force them to
flee to Bangladesh, they fled themselves.

We want the world media and the world people to know the truth. The terrorist ARSA group
also threatened other Bengali Muslims to flee to Bangladesh or else they will be killed by
ARSA. That is why all the journalists and media needs to know the truth, and to tell the world
the truth.

Our villages around here were surrounded by over 10,000 Bengali Muslims. Luckily we were
saved by the army.

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U Nyi Nyi
from Taung Bazar Yin Ma Market
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar 4)

I am U Nyi Nyi. I live in Taung Bazar Yin Ma Market.

Around 3 am on Aug 25, 2017, we were awakened by the
sounds of many many gunshots and explosions. We did
not know what was happening, but later learned that the
Muslims had surprised attacked about 30 security force
outposts at the same time in the early morning.

Around 7 am I went to a shop in my village and asked

what was happening. Around our village there were many Bengali Muslim villages, but now
they were strangely quiet - I noticed that. I thought, “Why were they so quiet?” Then a
Muslim man named Islam - who I knew - showed up, but strangely he didn't say anything.
Usually we would greet each other and talk - but quickly he went back to his village.

Then we heard that the nearby police outpost of Hpaung Taw Pyin Village was under heavy
attack, and one officer was killed already. Some security officers with us then quickly went to
Hpaung Taw Pyin Village to help their comrades. At that time then, around 9 am, we had no
security forces with us. Our village was then surrounded by so many Bengalis. All of us
villagers were so afraid. We could see that all the Bengalis had swords and even guns, and
were closing in on us.

We called the security forces to come and rescue us. All of the surrounding police outposts
were under attack, but finally some security forces arrived in our village - the same ones that
went to rescue their comrades in Hpaung Taw Pyin Village. They gathered us in the school
[behind him] for protection, but we were surrounded again by the huge mobs of Bengalis. I
thought all of us would die that day.

Some government department staff members joined us villagers in the school building. The
military officer looked for a way to escape. We were surrounded by thousands of Bengalis
with swords and guns. The only way to flee was to go through the muddy and flooded rice
fields. The officer led the way, and we were protected by about 20 soldiers. About 4:30 pm
we finally arrived at the big Army base on the other side of the mountain.

When we arrived at the army base the Bengalis didn't go away - they come right up to the
security fence of the army base. We had to stay in the army base for 15 days. The army got
food supplies for us. After 15 days the military took us back to our villages.

Just near here there is a Muslim house - the family of Mohammed Tahir [also interviewed
here]. They did not flee like all the other Muslims. This Muslim family didn't try to kill us. That
is why they are not afraid to stay here - because we know they are good people. But this is
the only Bengali family like this. All the other Bengali Muslims are terrorists, and they fled
after they tried to slaughter us.

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Mohammed Tahir - Muslim
from Nari Chaung, Patu Gong Village (near Taung Bazar)
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar Muslim)
[This Muslim man was rather shy on camera, so to keep him
talking I began to ask questions to him, through our Bengali
language translator. He was the one and only Muslim among the
many dozens of Buddhists and Hindus watching us spend a day interviewing and gathering
evidence. He was clearly well-like and respected by all, and friendly and genuine to all.]

My name is Mohammed Tahir and I live in Nari Chaung, Patu Gong village [near Taung Bazar].

When the incident happened on August 25, people [Bengali Muslims] were running here and
there with swords and sticks. When my father tried to persuade them to stop the violence they
came to kill my father. We protected my father and they ran away. We could not reason with
them. After two days, they fled to Bangladesh. They demanded that we flee together with them.
My father said, “We shall not go. We did not do anything wrong. Why do we need to flee?”

After all the people [Bengali Muslims] fled, the military came and provided us with needed rice
and food supplies. After 2 or 3 months, they provided supplies to us again. The military helped
us to repair the market and provided medical treatment to those who needed it. Now, we can
stay well. We could operate our shop in the market here, and can travel to Buthidaung.

Question from Rick Heizman: Ask him if he feels safe here.

Answer: Yes, I am safe here.

Question: Does he fear ARSA?

Answer: I do not have any connection to ARSA. [the question was slightly misunderstood, or
mistranslated to him - I asked if he had any fear, not connections]

Question: Does he have family?

Answer: All of my family members are still here. I have a wife and children.

Question: What did he think about what happened in the August 25, 2017 attacks?

Answer: On Friday August 25, 2017, we saw people [Bengali Muslims] running on the road
with swords and sticks. When my father tried to tell them to stop the violence ARSA
members came to kill my father. My father said if we leave him, they will kill him. So, we
stayed beside our father. From inside our house we could see people [Bengali Muslims]
going around here and there. Here, I do not have any problem. I can stay together with
Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus peacefully. All are like brothers and mothers to me.

Question: What is his job here? What does he do?

Answer: Now, I have a shop in the market, I am a shopkeeper.

Question: Is his shop okay? [not destroyed, sanctioned, or vandalized?]

Answer: Currently business is very well.

Question: Has he ever been to Bangladesh?

Answer: I have never been to Bangladesh. I did not flee to Bangladesh with the others. All of
our relatives are here. They didn’t flee to Bangladesh.

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Pratik Kumarka - Hindu
from Taung Bazar,
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar Hindu)

My Hindu name is Pratik Kumarka, and my Burmese name is Ko

Maung Aye. We Hindus lived near here, in northern Buthidaung
Township.

On August 24, 2017, late at night, I heard many gunshots. The

next morning 1000s of agitated Bengali Muslims were encircling
our villages and threatening to attack. Our Hindu population here is very small. In our village
we live together peacefully with Rakhine Buddhists.

At that time I heard the Muslims yelling that they will destroy the Taung Bazar market and kill
the Rakhine Buddhists. We Hindus heard and saw the Muslims shouting like that, and
getting ready to attack.

Some Bengali Muslim women even shouted at us, “Kill the Hindus first, then slaughter the
Buddhists!”

Our village is in block 9 of this village tract [administrative terms, not at all like city blocks].
This is where the Hindus live. Behind our village there is a large Bengali Muslim village, and
in front of our village there is a large Muslim village. We were trapped at that time, we could
not go anywhere.

On August 31, 2017, we got the phone number of an Army officer and called him for help. Army
troops came and rescued us, and escorted us to here, where we are now, in Taung Bazar.

[Note: On August 25, 2017, 29 police outposts were attacked, and one army base - in Taung
Bazar. There was a lot of heavy fighting around this whole area, as 1000s of ARSA led
Bengali Muslims attacked many villages around the army base as well. Fighting was intense
for many days.]

I think that the Bengali Muslim boys over 12 years old already have the mind of an Islamic
terrorist.

I didn’t think that this could ever happen. Since we were young we were living together,
eating together, going to school together, growing up together.

Nowadays we are afraid to live far from Rakhine Buddhists because together we can try to
protect ourselves. We need to live very close to the Buddhists, together, because we alone
are a small minority.

In Kha Maung Seik the Bengali Muslims carried out a horrible genocide, killing 100 Hindus.
Many of those victims were our relatives. At the moment we don’t want any Bengali Muslims
here. If the Bengalis come back to this area we cannot live in safety.

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U Thet Damma
from Taung Bazar,
Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Taung Bazar, October 2018
(Taung Bazar Monk)

My name is Thet Damma. I have been living in this village for

22 years.

During the Bengali Muslim attack, August 25, 2017, I was here,
at this monastery. At that time the village and the monastery
were being surrounded by thousands of Bengali Muslims. All of
the nearby Buddhists were afraid to stay in their village houses and they gathered here, at
the monastery for safety.

I was nearby at Pan Taw Pyin village, and I phoned an army officer, in order to get help. Then
I came back to the monastery. When the army officer [and a few troops] arrived, the Bengalis
surrounding the village didn’t move, they were just watching.

The officer told all of us “Don’t stay here in the monastery, move to the school.” He led all of
us to the school [just nearby]. Bengalis were edging in, getting closer, yelling and shouting,
and trying to stab people with their swords. Then, a bit later, he said, “We can’t stay here at
the school, it is too dangerous.”

The officer and some troops escorted us to the army base. I stayed at the base for 2 or 3
days, and then I moved to Buthidaung, and then about 10 or 15 days later some of the
villagers came back here, and then I returned here.

Now things have calmed down, and people have returned, and are working again, but, we
don’t know what will happen in the future. If the Bengalis return we don’t know what will
happen again.

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Name unknown

from Buthidaung town,

Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed at old abandoned ruined mosque, Buthidaung,
October 2017
(Buthidaung Mosque)
[This man didn’t want his face visible. He is a visible government
official in Buthidaung, which has a lot of Bengali Muslims, and he
has concerns that you will understand at the end of this
interview.]

In 1942, in the wake of a huge massacre of 30,000 Buddhists in

Maungdaw, by Bengali Muslims, there were tens of thousands of
Buddhists fleeing to Buthidaung for safety, or so they thought.

The distance is not long - about 30 miles - but it is up and down

a formidable mountain range - The Mayu Mountains - which are
extremely steep and jungle covered. Large groups of several hundred each would have to
walk and climb with old people, women and children in the middle, and men and boys
walking on the outside, displaying swords, knives, or clubs to keep the Muslim killers at bay.

The Buddhists would shout, “Let us pass through, we don’t harm you, we are leaving here,
don’t kill us, just let us go.” Even with that being said, sometimes large groups of Muslims
would attack a group and overwhelm it, killing everyone they could.

Coming down from the mountains to Buthidaung, at the foot of the mountain, there was a
large Muslim village that the Buddhist refugees would have to pass through. The path went
by this mosque, [where I am doing the interview], now old and ruined. [It was ruined by a
cyclone in 2010, and abandoned.] The Muslims at this village said such things as, “Welcome,
we are friendly, don’t be afraid of us. You are almost to the town of Buthidaung, but rest here
for awhile, eat some food with us, we are your friends. Put your things down here, you don’t
need weapons right now, put your things down and come eat with us, you must be so
hungry. Come in to the mosque, where we have food.”

The Rakhine people are simple honest Buddhists and they did as was suggested. They put
down their goods and weapons, and walked into the mosque, and yes - there was food. The
hungry and exhausted Buddhists were eating the food, and then all of a sudden many
Muslims ran in with knives and swords and killed everyone.

Everyone, except one 17 year old boy, who escaped the carnage. His name is U Shwe Tha
Aung, and it was from him that I know of this tragedy. He died last year at 92 years old. He
said the experience never left his mind - everyday, for the rest of his life, he recalled every
detail of the horror.

In the chaos of the massacres there was a well-respected British appointed Burmese officer
trying hard to bring the killings to an end, and bring some stability and order to this area. His
name was U Kyaw Khine. He was abruptly assassinated one day - by Muslims. It was known
that news of his death would be a calamity for the Rakhine Buddhists, and officials didn’t
announce his death for awhile, fearing even greater chaos.

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A few years later the government sent Bo Yan Aung, one of the ’Thirty Comrades’ to Sittwe
to set up a new administration, and to stop the violence. He sent his two lieutenants, Bo Yan
Naing and Bo Myo Nyunt to Maungdaw to negotiate with the Muslim leaders. They arrived in
Maungdaw, and at the 'welcoming dinner' they were stabbed and chopped to death. Now
you might understand why this person speaking does not want his face shown.

————————————————————————————————

INTERVIEW CATEGORIES

• Southern Maungdaw Township

• Northern Maungdaw Township

• Maungdaw Town and Area

• Southern Buthidaung Township

• Northern Buthidaung Township

• Rathedaung Township

• Hindu victims

• Ethnic Minority victims: Mro, Thet, Diagnet, Khami

• Others: Yangon, Sittwe, Mrauk-U

A DATABASE IS COMING: Enabling you to find all interviews with these types of parameters:

• Rescued / saved by Army

• Used to get along / employ / work with Bengali Muslims

• Bengalis would not buy, sell, or interact in any way with non-Muslims

• ARSA or RSO terrorist group info

• Terrorist training camps found

• Eyewitnesses to Bengali Muslims burning their own homes and villages

• Interviews by: Hindus, Muslims, Khami, Thet, Diagnet, Mro

• Talk about 1942 Massacre times, or 1950s Mujahid campaign

ALL INTERVIEWS ARE ON VIDEO AT:

https://arakan-reality.smugmug.com/ARAKAN-the-CONFLICT-VIDEOS/Interviews-October-2018/

and:

https://arakan-reality.smugmug.com/ARAKAN-the-CONFLICT-VIDEOS/INTERVIEWS/

and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXpfh5XdTXbt6mNgNzGjZ7A

Produced by Rick Heizman June 18, 2019 Facebook: Arakan Eagle 7

Photos and Videos of Arakan at: arakan-reality.smugmug.com - go to Conflict videos

Photos and Videos of all of Myanmar at: rickheizman.smugmug.com

Papers at scribd.com/rheizman

Email: rickmusic4@gmail.com burmafriend88@gmail.com

The BEST and most ACCURATE FILM about the CONFLICT in RAKHINE STATE, MYANMAR:
ARAKAN - ANCIENT BUDDHIST KINGDOM, ENDANGERED BY JIHAD - in 4 parts:

https://arakan-reality.smugmug.com/ARAKAN-the-CONFLICT-VIDEOS/MY-EXCELLENT-MOVIE/

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