INTERVIEWS by RICK HEIZMAN

in MRAUK-U, SITTWE, YANGON, USA

2014-2018

Ma Soe Thein
from Sun Sha Sate Village, (Elephant riverside)
Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Sun Sha Sate Village , Feb 2016
(Mrauk-U 2)

In June 2012, my husband was killed by Bengali

Muslims. The Bengalis suddenly came to our village, to
attack and kill us, and my husband had to run out and
protect our village.

Somebody from the nearby cemetery came and told me that my husband was brutally killed
by the Muslims. They only had some parts of my husband, and parts of his bloodied clothes,
but, they did not even have his head. The Muslims had hacked off his arms and legs, and his
head with their swords.

It was unbearable to even go see those body parts, knowing that was my husband.

We had 7 children at the time, the youngest was 3. Then suddenly, with the loss of my
husband, and without his support, I hardly knew what to do to feed and care for the children.
I hardly knew what to do to feed and care for our children.

This is what the Muslims do to us, and I can never forget.They get violent, and all of us
Buddhists are so frightened. We could hardly eat or relax. When the Muslims come with
weapons to attack Buddhist villages, our men must stop them, or they will try to burn our
village, and they will kill everybody even women and kids.

Sometimes when the threat from the Muslims is very extreme the men tell the women to take
the children to the hills, and stay there... and the men had to guard the village day and night.
In that situation the women could not even cook and feed the kids properly.

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Than Yine Sein
from Sun Sha Sate Village (Elephant riverside) in
Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Sun Sha Sate Village, Feb 2016
(Mrauk-U 1)

I am 53 years old, and have 8 children. My eldest son -

U Hla Tun, who took care of us, his parents, was killed
by the Bengalis in 2012. He was just 32 years old.

We don't know exactly how he was killed by the

Bengalis because we never saw his body. Some of our
village people saw him being captured by Bengalis. People saw 4 or 5 Bengalis with knives
attacking him. That day, people heard that the Bengalis were going to attack the Buddhist
villages that night.

My son left the house when he heard that the Bengalis were attacking the Arakanese. We
were all so scared because the Bengalis were coming into the village to fight us and kill us.

People around the world blame us, the Buddhists, but actually the Bengalis started the
violence. Nobody hears our voices. The girl Ma Thida Htwe was raped and killed by Bengalis
but we, the Buddhists, were blamed.

If the Bengalis, or anybody, were coming to attack and kill us, what are we supposed to do?
Just sit and be slaughtered? If they come to fight and kill us we have to fight to protect
ourselves and stay alive.

But the people outside didn't blame the Bengalis, they blamed us! The Buddhists!

Buddhist teachers - devoted to educate in Bengali villages were killed, sometimes by their
own students.

We Arakanese are the real victims, but the outside world seems to always favor the Bengalis.
Now I still feel angry at the Bengalis for killing my son. I don't want to see them, I don't want
to hear them, and I don't want them living near us.

So, there is no solution to live with those people who are always trying to kill us. The reason
is the Bengalis are so cruel - they attack people, behead people, rape women, and always
seek to slaughter our Buddhist people. They can look friendly seem friendly, act friendly, at
the same time that they can be plotting to kill us.

We Rakhine are straight forward, unlike the Bengalis, who seem to always stab us in the
back, and are always looking for opportunities to destroy us. We can never know what the
Bengalis are going to do to us in the future.

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My parents and my grandparents also had to face the same circumstances, and escape from
the slaughter by the violent Bengalis. We cannot do our livelihood, or sleep peacefully, or eat
in peace, or relax at home, because of the threat of the Bengalis

doing something terrible to us.

We Rakhine people, we don't attack them, but if they attack us we

must defend ourselves.

[The daughter of the family tried to speak about the murder of her
brother - but she could not talk. As the daughter tried to speak, the
mother spoke for her.]

What do you feel about the killing of your brother? Do you hate the
people, or the ideology of those people? We don't hate people in
general, but we can hate the ideology of people - if it is intolerant,
or harmful to us.

I am Mar Mar Khine,

from Bandoola Quarter of Mrauk-U,
Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in Mrauk-U, February 2016
(Mrauk-U 3)

My husband was killed by Bengalis in 2013 - for no

reason. We were both just 17 years old (They had
recently married).

I didn't see it with my own eyes but it was in the river

channel where on one side was our Buddhist village
and on the opposite side there was a Bengali Muslim
village.

People who saw it say that my husband accidentally fell out of the fishing boat, he struggled
to swim to our village, but the waves were strong and he had to abandon that and swim to
the Bengali side.

The Bengalis grabbed him as he landed on their shore, and killed him. We never even
recovered his body. Because I never even saw his dead body, I still feel like I can't believe he
is dead.

Sometimes I hope that he is alive, and magically I will see him again.

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Thein Kyaw

from Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar

Interviewed in Sittwe, January 2016
(Sittwe 1)

So, let me introduce myself, my name is Thein Kyaw. I

live close to the Bengali quarter (in Sittwe).

In 2012, we heard that Muslim people, (were) coming (to)

our Rakhine Village. So, at that time I had a young child
and my wife, so I was worried about my family because
they (the Muslims) were bringing very strong weapons.

And then, how to make (protect) my family? If I left my family (to go stop the Bengalis from
entering the village) they would kill my family, probably all Rakhine people. So, when I got out
from my house I saw many young Muslim people on the railway, with their terrible weapons.

I told my family - We have to move right now! Because, bad Muslim people with weapons
are coming. I saw many Bengali Muslim people with weapons. They shoot with bow to
Rakhine houses. (It is called jingali - sharpened bicycle spokes shot with slingshots or bows)
And then, by chance, a police car arrived at our Rakhine village. When they (the Muslims)
saw the policeman they all ran to the Muslim area (their village). So, my family moved to the
town of Sittwe.

So, I'm really upset, because, I had many Muslim close friends. We didn't know they had a
plan to fight (attack) our village. They had already (the means to) fight (destroy)

Rakhine houses, with petrol, diesel, something like that, I saw, with my own eyes.

Now, it is not possible to live together with Muslim people because their mind is so narrow.
They should learn (value) education. Between Muslim and Rakhine, impossible to live
together, in the future, because, we don't believe (trust) them. This is our land. They were
immigrants, from Bangladesh to Rakhine. I feel, in my heart, all Muslim people are not
terrorists (but all) terrorists are Muslim.

So, we have many many times the protests, in Sittwe about Bengali Muslims, or OIC

(Organization of Islamic Cooperation). We don't accept Muslim Organizations in Rakhine area

because we believe in Theravada Buddhism. We don't know about Islam religion. For
example, a Buddhist man kills a rooster. In the future, we are going to be like a rooster.
According to Buddhism, we don't kill, even a rooster or oxen. We don't like killing. We don't
want to see the fresh blood from animals.

So, I have seen, many times, they kill goats and oxen during the Muslim very important
festivals. A lot of Rakhine people don't believe (trust) Bengali Muslims. So, how do we live
(together)?

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Ran Nyaung Soe
from Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Sittwe, January 2016
(Sittwe 2)

My name is Ran Nyaung Soe. I was born in a village in

Maungdaw, close to Bangladesh, now I live in Sittwe,

especially I live in the east part of Sittwe. And my family,

my mother and my younger brother and sisters, they all
live in a village where many Muslim people live. My
mother was posted in that area, because she is a mid-
wife.

Last 2012, there was violence between Rakhine people and Muslim people, and it was very
very big violence. It started on June 8, (2012).

At that time, I just worried so much about my family. And, I went to my mothers place, to
take all my family from the Muslim village, to save them, but, when I arrived at the entrance
of the village, there were so many Muslim people blocking the village with swords and other
weapons. So, I didn't reach there. I tried to make a phone call to my family, and tried so
many times, but the phone line was very busy, and wouldn't make a good connection, but,
fortunately, in the end, I got a phone call from my family.

I called my mother and talked to her, “Are you okay, everything okay there?" And she said,
“No." I asked her, "So, can you just get out of there?" and she said, "No way, but fortunately
there is an exit way, which is in the riverside.” So, I told her, "Please take that way, from the
riverside, and I will be waiting there".

So, they all took that way, from the riverside, in the mud flats, they just walked in the very
muddy place, and came to me, and I took them with the truck to my place, which is in the
east part of Sittwe, so they were saved.

We didn't expect that it will happen like this violence. We never never expected it, but,
unfortunately this happened. It's getting bigger and bigger - the violence. And, we didn't
expect and we didn't prepare anything to fight them, but, at that time we saw the Muslim
people - they had already prepared everything - weapons and other things to fight Rakhine
people. Some people were killed in that village.

I feel, that the problem, is anyway, getting calmed down, but, as much as I know, the
situation is not very good, because, some people, especially some Muslim leaders they are
just trying to push the other Muslim people to make problem. So, this is not good, I think.
Compared to the former time, now business is difficult.

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Saw Mra Raza Lin
from Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Sittwe, January 2016
(Sittwe 3)

[Saw Mra Raza Lin is a Chairperson of the

Rakhine Women's Union, founding member of
Women's League of Burma, Advocate for
Women's Rights, and the Empowerment of
Women, Founder of Rainbow Women and
Children Welfare Foundation, a teacher,
educator, negotiator, and, the most recognized
Rakhine woman activist]

We Arakanese are Buddhists, and in previous years we shared and lived together with
Bengali migrants, and treated them kindly, as human beings, with metta (loving-kindness)
according to our Buddhist principles.

Killing someone is one thing that Arakanese would not dare do. The rape and killing of Ma
Thida Htwe, by Bengali Muslims in 2012, sparked another wave of conflict between us and
the Bengali Muslims.

The conflict between Muslims and Buddhists is of great sorrow to Arakanese people.

Arakan State is the homeland of the Arakanese people. We greatly worry that the ever
increasing migrant Bengali population threatens our homeland and our culture.

Sometimes false news spreads out to the world - that the Muslims are being tortured and
murdered by us. This news shocks us and causes us great sorrow.

To be frank, we Arakanese are suffering from fear, and we are frightened, even though we are
living in our own homeland. In Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, the burning of
Buddhist villages happens a lot. Even the police guarding borders and protecting villages are
killed.

The Burmese government needs to do much more, because we are flooded with illegal
Bengalis, who are killing us, burning our villages, and driving us out of our own homeland.
We sincerely want to develop our State, and we want to live peacefully in our homeland.

Some foreigners spread wrong information about us and our Buddhist culture through the
world. This is not right. They should come see, learn, and experience our Arakan culture and
people. They would sympathize with the Arakanese who are suffering and fearful.The truth is,
the Arakanese are frightened that they will lose their land - our homeland.

And, the world need to save our Arakanese Culture, so that it does not disappear from the
world map. I ask the world to come and learn the truth, and to feel the hearts of our people,

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as we share metta (loving-kindness) with each other, as Buddhists, and how we love our
culture and our homeland.

I want to speak to the Arakanese around the world. Historically, our ancient Arakan
Kingdoms ruled a large area. From those times, our land has become smaller and smaller.
We thought we gained independence in 1948, because Arakan is part of Burma. But, Arakan
did not receive the autonomy that we thought would come under a policy of federalism. We
Arakanese still do not have the right to govern ourselves, as an autonomous State, in the
Nation. We need to carefully do more and more to retain our Arakanese heritage, and to not
lose our homeland.

I think it is important for all Arakanese around the world to come back to our homeland and
work together, for the development of Arakan State. Arakanese students and scholars -
around the world - who are learning many vital things - should come home and apply their
skills for the benefit of Arakan State.

I wish to conclude by saying - “LET’S ALL WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR HOMELAND.”

Ma Hla Wai
from Maungdaw, now lives in USA
Interviewed in San Francisco, USA, 2014
(Ma Hla Wai)

[She speaks English - with a lot of grammatical

errors. I subtitled without fixing her grammer]

We don’t have a problem with other people like

Hindu, Burmese, Shan, Kachin, Kayah.

With everybody, we don’t have any problem. We

can stay peacefully, happily, we don’t have any problem.

I’d like to talk about my experience with the Bengali mobs, coming to kill the Rakhine
innocent people, like me.

[Ma Hla Wai was born and raised in Maungdaw, and then emigrated to the USA. In early
June, 2012, she was in Yangon, on her way to visit her hometown of Maungdaw. On the
morning of June 8, 2012, she happened to call her sister in Maungdaw just as the surprise
attack by the Muslims was starting. The family home is in central downtown Maungdaw, with
a good view of the main street and the Maungdaw Central Mosque]

So, we called my sister, just to talk, “How’s it going on?” Then my sister said, “Eh, a lot of
people coming out from the mosque, they are yelling and shouting, and running! They are
going to kill us! They are coming this way! I have never seen so many people in my life!”
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I said, “How many?” She replied, “over 10,000, I have never seen so many people! Oh! Now
they are throwing rocks [and breaking the windows].”

The way they are yelling and shouting is “Nariatopi Zindabar! Allah Akbar Zindabar!” [Praises
extolling the greatness of Allah] and “Mahg Kara Hari” [Cut the necks of the Buddhists!]

Zindabar meaning is kind of a blessing in Islam. A blessing for those who believe in Allah, so
they can be successful. Nariatopi meaning is: to help their religion grow all over the world,
like a jihad. Mahg Kara Hari meaning is: kill all the Rakhine Buddhists, cut the necks of the
Rakhine.

[Now, Ma Hla Wai talks about one of her personal experiences with the Muslims in
Maungdaw]
Mobs are coming in front of the house, they are yelling and shouting, and even they are
showing their knives. They are shouting, “Come out! We are going to kill you!” Suddenly they
just opened the door and came in, and stabbed my husband, and then cut my head. They
killed my husband, and then 10 - 12 year old children, our students, they told me, “Before,
you are saying [believing in] Buddha, Buddha, now your Buddha cannot help you.” I can
never forget that. Even my husband’s body is not moving, but those young [Muslim] children
are beating my husband’s body like a toy - I will never forget that.

Every house was burned down. In the same village 4 people died. Everyone telling one thing
- the same story: a lot of the armed with weapons Muslims coming to kill us have the
children in front. Young children from age 10 to 15 - they are in the front.

[Now Ma Hla Wai talks about her parents experiences during the 1942 Massacre]
In my childhood, I used to hear about the 1942 massacre. Every night my bedtime story was:
my parents had to escape, from Muslim killers of my grandparents. At that time my mother
was pregnant, with my first brother, elder brother. Our village leader called everybody
together, “We have to run away, we cannot stay here. We need to cross the Mayu mountains
to the [Buthidaung] valley.”

The next day my father came back [to try to get some valuables]. Muslims ran after my father
to kill him. Mostly knives are behind him. My father jumped in the river, and then he ran.

Everyday I dream of my hometown. I love my hometown so much. Why did I have to leave
my hometown? I want to come back to my hometown.

We got killed by Bengali Muslims in our own land, in our own houses, and we don’t know
what to do.

We don’t know what to do.

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Akbar Hussein - Muslim

from Rangoon, Burma (Yangon, Myanmar)

Interviewed in Yangon, October 2018
(Akbar Hussein)

My father is Kalabash. Kalabash is basically from

Azerbaijan. My mother comes from Iran. Iranians were
basically Sunnis. When we came to Iran, from Azerbaijan,
we turned them into Shias.

I was born in 1945. From 1945 to 1964 - 19 years, I

studied at Sacred Heart High School. Until 9th standard I
was here, and then I went to Pakistan.

In those days there was no difference between Muslims and Burmese. We used to have
water festival together, Eid, Diwali, Christmas, everything. Any festival we were all together.

Now I'm hearing about all this junk. It is a lie - because, I studied here and I never heard
'Rohingya' - I did my MA in international history, and I never heard ‘Rohingya’. All of a
sudden these 'Rohingya' had come - from where? I can't illuminate. They go so many years
back - from where? If they come from 2 or 3 hundred years back they have to be in the
history. But if not… I read Burmese history, and I read international history. There is nothing.
So, what makes the big difference in the last twenty years? The 'Rohingya' and this and
that…

What happened is….these people, I'lll say terrorists, they want to divide. They don't want
peace in the third world. So, they are trying to create problems in the third world. The only
thing they can create is a fight between religions.

I will never abuse a Buddha. I have been to churches - big deal. If you go to church you don't
become anything else. You still remain what you are. If I go to Buddha it doesn't make any
difference, if I go to synagogue nothing will happen.

But, we are dividing…

Oh, Mullahs [might say], "Why are you reading this book?"

[My answer would be] “It’s a Buddhist book, what does it have to do with you? This is
Buddhist so let it be.” Buddhists have also said something good.

[Mullah] “I’ll take it away, read the Quran.”

[I would say] “Is it in English?"

[Mullah] "It must be read in Arabic."

[I would say] "My forefathers do not understand that Arabic. Why should I read Arabic?"

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“In the Quran there is only science” - the Mullah would say.

There is no science [in the Quran].

Even now in Rangoon, our Shia mullahs are not educated, so they are bullshitting. The same
in the world, the Sunni Mullahs are not educated, so they will never talk about this rubbish.

There's a Mullah - Rahman - he says call us [Shite] 'kafir' [a very derogatory word for non-
Muslims, similar to ‘Infidel', but much more harsh and intolerant] because, he's not literate.

The Bengalis were in Pakistan - it was East Pakistan before 1971. They are the biggest
intrigues [making secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental]. Even you see, they killed
their father [the assassination of the president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and
almost his entire family in 1975]. Bengalis - they’re god-damned liars. They are agitators,
they're the biggest agitators.

It was a terrorist attack - on Arakan. It was the terrorists from Bangladesh.

All the madrassas must have modern education - because without modern education what
will you do? If you read the Quran what will you do?

That is the biggest problem with these Mullahs. They say, "You are Muslim. We are separate.”

That is what the Mullahs have taught them. [They say], “One day we are going to rule the
world.”

How can you rule it, with the Quran?

Our Mullahs don't want us to be educated. Like, even the Mullah comes here and says,
"Why are you talking in English? Talk in Arabic or talk in another language.”

You see, I've been here, born here, and I never heard of 'Rohingya' - until recently.

The biggest problem is - for me - it is the Mullahs. Nobody else. Because, the Mullahs are
the biggest problem on earth. They don't let the children go to school, to learn modern
education, science, technology. These Mullahs, if you go to their madrassas, you'll only find
Qurans and Hadiths. And, if you ask them about the Quran they don't understand. They'll
say, "right, left, here, there, mumbo, jumbo..."

You know, who is the biggest enemy of Islam? Muslims themselves. Sunnis are killing Shias -
in the name of Islam.

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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

• 1942 Massacre against Buddhists, and 1950s Mujahid troubles

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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