INTERVIEWS by RICK HEIZMAN

in RATHEDAUNG TOWNSHIP
in September 2017, January, 2018, and October 2018

Ma Ei Ei
from Koe Tan Kauk Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Koe Than Kauk, September 2017
(Koe Tan Kauk 1)

We have experienced this kind of violence three times already. The

Bengalis attacked us in the early morning at 4:30, on Aug 25,
2017. One of our policemen was quickly killed. They had already
surrounded the police outpost call, and also surrounded our
village. We did not even know where to run. I feel so brokenhearted
to even recount this.

They were shouting many different things, like ‘Alahu Akbar!’ and other frightening things.
People outside of Maungdaw would not know how we felt. We are the people who are
suffering this tragedy.

We were surrounded by more than 300 or more Bengalis. The police station was surrounded
and under attack by over 2000 Bengalis. We feared that after killing all the policemen, the
two groups would join and kill us all.

We had nowhere to run. We had nothing to fight back with. We had no preparation at all.
Around 6:30 am, some soldiers arrived at our monastery and that is why we survived.

We want the authorities to know that this place needs better security and more soldiers.
Bengalis always have violent plans to kill us.

So, we cannot live in this village without security. All the villagers say they won’t live there
without more security. This is because Bengalis are too foxy and so evil. Our Rakhine people
have lost hundreds of lives, it is so tragic. Now we are safe with Army troops around us. They
protect us and support us. That is why we can live here, with their protection.

If the Army troops leave today, we will also have to leave our village today. The authorities
don't really know our fears and our concerns.

We have had to flee three times from this kind of violence. We have had too much suffering.
Enough is enough. Our authorities cannot even imagine our suffering. Bengalis have a
massive population. That is why they take advantage of us and threaten us.

Bengalis want to occupy Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung. We knew the attack
would happen someday again, we just did not know when they would start. We only have
some security troops to protect us. Without them, we will not be safe and we will not live
here. I am glad to have a chance to tell people about our suffering. Thank you for hearing
about these horrible experiences.

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Maung Than Hlaing
from Koe Tan Kauk Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Koe Than Kauk, October 2018
(Koe Than Kauk 2)

After the massive coordinated August 25 attacks by the

Bengali Muslims the Bengalis fled to Bangladesh. The next
day, when I was sure that they all had left I went into the
Bengali Muslim village in this group of villages, just to see
what is there. [Normally a non-Muslim would not be allowed
into the village, and it was known to all that it would be dangerous or even deadly to enter a
Muslim village]. I discovered a basket of handmade bombs or landmines that had been left
behind by the fleeing Muslims. All the bombs were connected with batteries as triggers.
Then I could see that along the pathways there were many landmines laid to keep outsiders
out, and/or, to guard the village secrets. We Rakhine Buddhists don’t kill Bengali Muslims.
After their attacks failed they burned their own homes and fled to Bangladesh.

[Koe Tan Kauk is a cluster of 3, or so, villages, with a large Muslim village distant from the
others. It was learned, by captured ARSA militants, that it was there, in the Muslim village,
where ARSA leader, Ata Ullah, would stay when he came from Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. Ata
Ullah basically had a headquarters there, and ARSA conducted training sessions focused on
fighting skills, shooting guns, and making handmade bombs and landmines. Villagers of Koe
Tan Kauk became trainers, conducting ARSA training in various training camps throughout
the area.]

Several unnamed men

from Koe Tan Kauk Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Koe Than Kauk, October 2018
(Koe Than Kauk 3)

[Here in Koe Tan Kauk Village in western Rathedaung

Township, we were having an interesting conversation about
history with villagers, not really an interview, however, good
talk.]

Between 1942 and 1950 nearly all the Rakhine Buddhist villages were burned by the
‘Mujahid Army’ led by the notorious leader Cassim. The Bengali Muslims were fighting a holy
war, in the name of Islam, to seize the land from the deeply rooted homeland of the Rakhine
Buddhists. [note: the term ‘Rohingya’ was nonexistent at the time] The Buddhist monastery
here in Koe Tan Kauk village was torched by Cassim and his Mujahid Army at that time. On
October 9, 2016, one of 3 targets simultaneously attacked was the large Burmese Border
Guard Police (BGP) outpost close to the Rakhine Koe Tan Kauk village, where officers were
killed and weapons looted. The Bengali plan was to kill all the security forces first, seize their
weapons, and then proceed to slaughter the entire population of Buddhists and all other
non-Muslims. We villagers have nothing to defend ourselves against these people.

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Ma Ye Chay
from Zay Di Pyin Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Zay Di Pyin, October 2018
(Zay Di Pyin 1)

I am Ma Ye Chay. We are just simple hard-working people living

off the jungle covered mountains around us. Our village people
live off of products of the forest.

My husband went to the forest, in the early morning, to collect

snails. I waited in the afternoon for him to come home, like
usual. It became later and he still had not returned. Then I
thought he would come home in the early morning, but he didn’t come home even then. The
villagers then decided to search for him, now it was feared that he may have been killed by
Bengalis.

I depend on my husband. I am not so healthy and I can’t work work hard.

Now, I feel so sad, and I am experiencing the tragedy again. When the villagers went to look
for him the next morning I stayed in our house. When the villagers who were looking for him
came back they had found some pieces of his clothes, and his bag, and small things of his.

[Note: He had walked into a Muslim militant training camp deep in the thick jungle
mountains. As the Muslims did to others like him they savagely killed him and cut him into
pieces, so his body would never be found.]

Another one of our villagers was brutally murdered - just like my husband - in April 2017.
Now I live in my home alone. Recently I asked my nephew to live with me. All of us are afraid
to go to the forest because of the cruel murders of us people.

Now I have to take medicine for my heart, and for depression. I don’t know how they killed
my husband, because we never even found his body. Even when the villagers were
searching for him they couldn’t search for so long, because of the Bengalis. We are so afraid
to go to mountains.

I have nothing now, I’m living from hand to mouth. I want to know, where is the body of my
dead husband? My husband is an innocent person, he just went to the forest to collect
snails. Why did they kill him? They killed my husband, who is nice to everyone and was
totally innocent.

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Tun Hla Aung
from Chut Pyin Thet Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Zay Di Pyin, October 2018
(Zay Di Pyin 2)

I am Tun Hla Aung from Chut Pyin Thet Village. I am Thet

ethnicity.

Mainly, we depending on the mountain for our livelihood. One

day my son and two other young men went to the mountain
forest to collect snails. On the way back to the village my son became separated from the
other two and was missing. The other young men searched for him, for two days, but could
not find him. The next day we found some pieces of his clothes and his basket. Also we
found things that only Bengalis use - often at secret militant training camps deep in the
mountains. We took all those things with us, as evidence.

We determined that my son had encountered a Bengali Muslim militant training camp, and
they grabbed him and killed him. As we came down from the mountain we had to go near
Ah Htet Nan Yar - a large Bengali Muslim village. The Bengalis must have been watching us
search, and saw us carrying the evidence. Many Bengalis came out and tried to stop us and
confiscate the things we had found, but we got away from them.

We got back to our Thet village, but then many Bengalis came, with their swords, and
surrounded our village. The Bengalis are so crazy, that's why we are so afraid to go to the
mountains.

Sometimes the militants come down from the mountain near the Chin ethnicity village, and
the Chin people can see them. They see these militants coming and going.

The chief of our Thet village asked some Bengalis to come to our village and discuss what
had happened. The Chief of the Bengali village said "No, we are afraid to come to your
village." [yet they are the ones always engaging in violence] The Thet village chief said, "I will
give you security. I will phone the police and the police will come and help you."

The police arrived at the Bengali village and were met by many Bengalis who just wanted to
quarrel about anything. I heard there was a big problem in the Bengali village, and I was
afraid, so I went to Zay Di Pyin Village.

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U Aung Thein Hla
from Chut Pyin Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Zay Di Pyin, October 2018
(Zay Di Pyin 3)
On July 27, 2017, 3 young men went to the forest, after their
breakfast, to collect snails. Around 4 pm, 2 of the young
men arrived back in the village, but one of them did not
return that night. In the village, his wife and other people
were wondering where is Moe Than Htay? He was last seen
climbing up the upper stream. At around 6 pm, many of the
village people went to the edge of the forest yelling his
name - but there was no answer.

The next day, July 28, our villagers asked other villages around for help in finding Moe Than
Htay. A lot of villagers were looking for him on the mountain, on the 28th and the 29th, but
they still couldn't find him. On July 30, on the west part of Taung Gan mountain near some
banana plantations we found some ARSA militants tents and a training camp. Then we found
some of Moe Than Htay's things such as his slingshot, his arrows, and his bag. We also
found supplies that the militants used in their camp, such as bags of rice, coffee mix
packets, and other things. We gathered these things and brought them down the mountain.

We had to pass by Ah Htet Nan Yar - a large Bengali village. About 1000 Bengalis tried to
grab the evidence from us, but we got past them. Then, when we got back into Chut Pyin
Village we were surrounded again by Bengalis demanding those things that we carried down
from the mountain. We called the police, and they came, and we gave all of the evidence to
the police.

A few days later we heard that 8 Myo ethnic minority people were killed by Bengalis in Khine
Gyi village, which is directly across the mountains, right on the other side. After we heard
that terrible news all the women and children from our Chut Pyin village fled to Zay Di Pyin in
fear. Some men stayed to guard the village. On Aug 25, 2017, we saw 10 Bengali ARSA
terrorists with guns and backpacks, crossing just near the Chin ethnic village and they went
into the Chut Pyin Bengali village. Again on Aug 28, 2017, a group of 5 ARSA terrorists with

guns and backpacks also was seen entering Chut Pyin Bengali village. Also, some police in
an outpost saw the terrorists trying to sneak over to Chut Pyin Bengali village and they
pursued them. The ARSA terrorists blew up some bombs and then a gun battle broke out.
The Bengali militants were pushed back and they started torching their villages and fleeing
for Bangladesh.

About 75% of us villagers depend on the mountain for our livelihood - growing vegetable
plots, gathering snails, etc. So now we have a lot of difficulties and problems, because we
cannot go to the mountain safely. If we go to the mountain we may get killed. Before the
2012 attacks there were 62 house in my village, but after that there were only 32 houses. 30
families left because of the violent Bengalis. So, we are very afraid to go to the mountain,
even if we need to.

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Ma Thein Nyunt
from Chut Pyin Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Zay Di Pyin, October 2018
(Zay Di Pyin 4)

I am Ma Thein Nyunt, age 41, from Chut Pyin Village,

Rathedaung Township. I am Thet ethnic minority.

[Zay Di Pyin Village is roughly half Thet and half Rakhine].

In 2012 teacher Maung Chan Tha was brutally killed by his

young students.

[He was also a Thet ethnic minority - that is why she mentioned him].

We are very afraid to go to the mountain. Four miles from Maungdaw, 4 Thet people were
murdered by Bengalis. Since the 2012 violence and still up to now, we have been afraid to
go to the mountains to work in our vegetable plots, and to collect snails and things. We are
very afraid of the Bengalis and that is why was cannot do anything anymore.

Also in Chut Pyin there are very few families like ours [non-Muslim] so we feel very unsafe
there. We always worry about when, and where, and how the Bengalis will attack us again.

Question: how do you thing about your future and your livelihood?

We don't know what next year will be like - we can only hope it is better, but....

Question: What about if there is security?

If there are a lot of security forces around here we would feel safer, but if the security is not
strong enough then it is not safe for us.

Maung Ba Tun

from Chut Pyin Village,

Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Zay Di Pyin, October 2018
(Zay Di Pyin 5)

I am Maung Ba Tun from Chut Pyin Village, Rathedaung

Township. I am 58 years old. Let me tell you about my
experience with Maung Than Chay - our villager who was
killed by Bengali terrorists in the forest.

People from our village, and other nearby Rakhine villages all went to the mountain to search
for him. 3 days later we found a cooking pot, and other odd things, [which were from a
secret Bengali terrorists training camp in the mountains], and we brought those things down
with us. Then, our village was surrounded by menacing Bengalis from nearby Muslim
villages.

From that time until now we are too afraid to go to the mountains. We made our livelihood
with things from the mountains, but now we can’t.

When the Bengalis surrounded our village - the Rakhine part of Chut Pyin - we fled to one
Rakhine village and then another. If the Bengalis come again to attack us we must flee again.
Very often the Bengalis would threaten us - all the time. We lost our rice [grown on the
mountain hillsides, not the flat rice fields below] during the harvest time. The Bengalis
prevented us from going to the distant rice fields, and they stole my cows and buffaloes.

Nowadays it is okay to live here because there are no more Bengalis living next to us [they
fled to Bangladesh]. Next year we want many more security forces around us so we can go
to the mountains again.

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U Kyaw Win
from Zay Di Pyin Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Rathedaung town, January 2018
(Rathedaung 1)

My name is U Kyaw Win, from Zay Di Pyin Village,

Rathedaung Township. I would like to talk about the 2017

attacks, here in Rathedaung Township. But first I will tell
you about 2 local men, and the tragedy that happened to
them.

This tragedy happened on April 22, 2017. One man was named U Maung Eh Tha, he was 60
years old. The other man was U Than Htay, and he was 55 years old. They both were from
Kyauk Sar Taing Village, in Rathedaung Township. Both of them were poor village men, who
lived hand to mouth. Mainly they made their meager livelihood from products of the
mountains.

On April 22, 2017, they went to the mountain to collect snails to sell. This was a common
pursuit of these villagers. They took some rice to eat with them, about one day's supply of
rice. So, normally they would come back the next day, after collecting enough snails.

Around that time, unbeknownst to us, or anybody, the Bengali Muslim ARSA militants were
infiltrating down the Mayu Mountain range, setting up secret training camps deep in the
rugged mountains, and carrying weapons and explosives, and hiding them in underground
bunkers. But, we didn't know about that yet.

The two men left their village on April 22, heading into the thickly forested mountains. On the
23rd they were expected to return home, but they didn’t show up at home. On the 24th they
still had not returned. Then their families, and the rest of the villagers became very worried.
So, we contacted the Border Guard Police and informed them of the situation.

Then, villagers and the Border Guard Police from Laung Chaung Village started searching for
them in the mountain forests. We found the missing men's footprints in some places, and
were able to follow where they had walked just a few days ago, and then we found an area
where there were a lot of other footprints around the missing men's footprints. A feeling of
dread was overcoming us. But, to this day we have never found the bodies of the 2 missing
villagers. We also found some plastic tarps, which was odd to find on the mountain [The
Muslim militants used it for the 'ceilings' of the underground bunkers that they had built].
And, we found boxes of food supplies that were labeled UNHCR.

[This has happened again and again. UN agency food supplies for refugees wind up being
stockpiled in militant / terrorist training camps. I have even found boxes of UNHCR supplied
Qurans!]

We also found cooking oil, and cooking utensils, which pointed out that some people were
living in secret up there in the mountains. And then we found the bag belonging to U Than
Htay, with his slingshot and pellets. Then we knew for certain that he and U Maung Eh Tha
were killed by Bengali Muslim terrorists.

8
We gathered and brought all of the things that we found and took them down from the
mountain to the big village of Ah Htet Nan Yar. When we got there we put the things that we
gathered on the football field. Then many many Muslims came and surrounded us and tried
to attack us and take the things we had brought down from the mountain. It seemed that the
word spread around quickly that we found evidence concerning the murder of our two
villagers. The Muslims seemed determined to thwart us, and seize the evidence from us.
Even though we were greatly outnumbered the Muslims failed to grab our evidence. They
were stopped by some Border Guard Police and some Army troops who were nearby.

After that the Border Guard Police found an ARSA camp in the mountains, and found some
Bengali Muslims there. Those Muslims said that many Muslims had attended the militant
training at that ARSA camp deep in the mountains. In August, 2017, Border Guard Police,
with info gathered from the Bengalis already captured, arrested a large number of Bengali
Muslims who had trained for the upcoming attacks.

U Pho Mra
from Gudaung Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
Interviewed in Gudaung, January, 2018
(Gudaung 1)
[U Pho Mra recounts the June 19, 2012 attacks by Bengali
Muslims, which left 10 Rakhine Buddhists dead, and in pieces]
On June 19, 2012, hundreds of Bengali Muslims came across
the fields from their very large village. Part of our Rakhine
Buddhist village was set on fire. Many men and boys had to
stand in front of the village and try to prevent the Bengalis
from reaching the village and starting more fires.
The Muslims were yelling such things as, “Allahu Akbar!” (Allah is the Greatest),
“Maug Kara Hiri” (Cut the Heads off the Buddhists), “This is Islamic land, you are
infidels, go away or we kill you.” Those of us who could not fight - old people, women,
and children - had to flee for safety to the back of the village.
Finally some security forces came from Rathedaung, and the fighting was stopped. But
later we realized that ten men and boys were missing. Some of us said we need to
search for them, but the policeman said “No, it is too dangerous now.”
The next day we searched all around, with the policemen, for protection. Finally we went
to the Muslim village to search. We noted that the village had a moat around it, with
water and mud and broken glass in it. After we got in the village, with the security
forces, we found a fresh grave, under a Muslim house with parts of the bodies of our
people. Then we found another grave, also under a Muslim house, and then another.
All of our 10 missing men were hidden and buried under the houses of the Bengalis.
It was so horrible. Many of the heads were cut off, and many arms and legs were cut off.
Some graves had no heads, and some had several heads - it was completely horrific.

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name unknown
from in or near Aung Zay Ya Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in Aung Zay Ya Village, October 2018
(Aung Zay Ya 1)

In 1942, according to what my parents told me many times,

the conflict between the Muslims and the Buddhists
started when the Bengali Muslims came here.

In Myebon township the chief of the village was killed by a

Bengali. The Muslims were armed by the British, to fight
against the Japanese, but when the British retreated the
Muslims used the weapons to absolutely slaughter the Buddhists.

Around here, hundreds of Buddhists were killed. As the Buddhists were gathering in one
place to hide from the Muslims, the Bengalis discovered where they were hiding and with the
weapons they had, the killed them all. The Bengalis came down the river from Buthidaung
[2-3 hours] by ship.

There was a jetty where many Buddhists were waiting for boats to come and bring them to
safety. A ship full of Bengalis with guns came near the dock and pretended to be a rescue
boat, and then they opened fire upon the Buddhists, killing nearly everyone there. One
woman, the only survivor, had a young baby, also a large metal pot which protected her, she
swam with her baby, but as she was reaching safety a wave knocked her baby out of her
hands, and she could not save it - the baby died. All the other Buddhists there were
slaughtered.

Other Buddhists survivors couldn’t live there anymore, it was too dangerous for them, and
they fled to Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Minbyar, and other places. After 3 or 4 years, as the British
came back, many of the Buddhists came back to reclaim their villages, but the Bengalis
threatened them with the British weapons that they had. They did not want any Buddhists to
live there among them. They wanted to take this land only for Muslims. The Bengali Muslims
organized a political party, to intimidate the government in that way. [with independence
coming soon, their party issued an ultimatum to the brand new government to make this
land a Muslim State, for Muslims only, independent of the new nation of Burma]

The Bengalis used many methods to intimidate the Buddhists and to prevent any from living
there. Before, there were many Rakhine Buddhist villages there, but now there are very few, it
is difficult and dangerous to live with the Muslims. They use many different ways to
intimidate us, they rob us, and they rape our women.

There are over 200 Rakhine Buddhist villages that were lost around here, and so many
Buddhists could not go back, they lost their villages, their houses, and their land. Over
40,000 Buddhists were killed then, in 1942, throughout Maungdaw, Buthidaung and
Rathedaung townships.

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Now, let me tell you about 1952 and Zofar - a leader of the Mujahid [the Bengali Muslims
named their militant movement Mujahid - Arabic for holy warriors fighting for Islam] The
Bengalis waged guerrilla warfare ever since independence in 1948. Not only Bengalis from
here but also Bengalis from Pakistan [East Pakistan - what is now called Bangladesh].

In the recent attacks [August 2017] we didn’t sleep well. We didn’t sleep in our houses, we
slept in hidden places, in the dense bushes. Our women could not sleep in their village
houses. During the daytime they could be with their husbands or friends in their village
houses, but before it became dark they had to cross the big river for safety. [The men often
had to stay in their village to protect it from being torched or looted, despite the dangers] It is
not safe here, there is not adequate security. Also, the Muslims killed our monk in this village.

name unknown
from Auk Kyun Village,
Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in Aung Zay Ya Village, October 2018
(Aung Zay Ya 2)

I live in Auk Kyun, Village, near Zay Di Pyin Village,

Rathedaung Township. When my father was alive he told
me about the Bengali Muslims, and the type of thinking that
they had. They intended to kill all the native and indigenous
people who lived around here. Their desire was to take our
land, kill us all, and make their own Islamic country here.

The old people who were here in 1942 know these tragedies very well. And the government
here knows the history. At that time in 1942, my father's village, Auk Kyun, was totally
burned down by the Bengali Muslims. So many Rakhine Buddhist villages were burned
down in 1942. The Buddhists who survived could never come back here - it was too
frightening. Now all those villages are Muslim villages. Sometimes I see Rakhine families
living in Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, and Minbyar, who originally came from those parts of
Rathedaung and Buthidaung, and had to escape the horrors of 1942, and never did go back.

Sometimes when I visited Minbyar I met one person named U Kyaw Daung, who was a
township officer, or something like that. He said, "I am not from here, I am from Alay Than
Kyaw in southern Maungdaw Township (where some of the worst slaughters of Buddhists in
1942 happened). My family moved here when I was young.” As we all see the situation, we
Buddhists and ethnic minority people don't kill Bengali Muslims, but they attack us. They
attack all of us Buddhists, Hindus, and ethnic minorities - and kill us, and now we can't go to
the forest, or the mountains for our livelihood.

Near here was a big mountain where the Mujahid chief - Cassim - had his headquarters (in
the 1950s). At the bottom of the mountain there was a large Mujahid base camp. They were
11
killing all of the Buddhists and minority people and burning villages up and down Maungdaw
and Buthidaung Townships. The goal of the Mujahid was to establish an Islamic land by
killing all non-Muslims, government staff, police, army and others. In my life, I have had to
flee for my life 3 times. After we fled the Bengalis burned all of the Rakhine villages. These
Bengali people think that if there are Rakhine people living around here they can't have what
they want, and that is to occupy the land for themselves only. That's why they threaten and
kill us.

In 1970 there was a lot of movement of Bengali Muslims back and forth, many of them with
their 'politics eyes', and their 'business eyes'. Then, in 1971, there was the Bangladesh War
of Independence, and many many Bengalis came across the border. The Rakhine people
didn't really know much about the politics and why there was a war next door. One thing so
important for the Bengalis is that they must have children - non-stop. Sometimes the Muslim
men will have 2, 3, or 4 wives.

Rakhine people are very good natured. Only 1% of Rakhine will do something wrong. These
Bengali Muslims are always thinking how to kill, how to kill the infidels. Our Rakhine people
are very good natured people. If someone is in trouble we will not close our eyes, we would
help that person - any person. But, the Bengalis doesn't think this way, they are very different
- they are always thinking how to deceive us, kill us, and how to occupy our land.

Myanmar democracy started in 2010. In 2016 the situation in Myanmar was getting better
and better. However, I would hear the Bengalis saying, "now is a good time to push for our
goals. We should demand [again] that the government give us our own Islamic State, and if
they don't then we will attack them." I was a school teacher for many years, with many
Bengali students, that is how I know. "They would say things like, "If 10,000 Bengalis die - no
problem. If a million Bengali Muslims die, and there are only 10,000 left, it's okay." This is
what is in their minds.

I heard that kind of thing, but I know we have a government that can handle that situation if it
happens. But, the Bengali people have a terrorist mind - always thinking how to attack and
kill. This time [Aug 25, 2017] they attacked 30 police posts, but our Rakhine people would
never attack the government like that. These Bengalis think that this is democracy time now
so we are free to do whatever we want - they think like that. That's why they attacked. So if
they do things that way, then we Rakhine people are stuck between the government and the
terrorists.

After the Aug 25, 2017 attack, if the police and military had not arrived quickly we all would
have been slaughtered here. In 2012, even some Bengali old women took weapons from the
police.

Actually, in the Rakhine peoples opinion, if the Bengalis love this land so much they don't
need to hate us. They can work and live peacefully together with us. But, no, they are
obsessed with having their own Islamic State. These Bengali people don't care about about
the government, they don't respect authority, they don't care about the indigenous people,
they don't care about anybody. They are always thinking to kill, to kill, but if they lose, they
always flee to Bangladesh. Because, Bangladesh is their father and mother - their native
homeland. For example: When I was young, sometimes we play football, sometimes we play
12
games, and maybe we lose - then we run to home to our parents - that's the way the
Bengalis are - like immature kids. In Myanmar we are the Rakhine nationality people in our
land - we are the host, but now we are seen as a thief! [in the international community eyes]
The host became a thief, and the thief became the host. The international community takes
time and talks so much about this problem, and then, with time, the mistake becomes a new
false reality.

I am telling the truth, based on my experiences. I'm not exaggerating or adding anything.
After the Aug 25, 2017 attacks I thought: if we all fled from here at that time, all of this land
would now be under the control of the Bengalis. With whatever we have, a stick, a small
knife, we have to hold it and defend our village. So while we were guarding and defending
our villages, at the same time the Bengalis were attacking the police posts - our protection.

We were saved by the security forces, but so far our 'window' is not secure - I’m talking
about a border fence. A few days ago we heard that one Mro ethnic man was killed, and his
cow was taken, by Bengali Muslims. Also, there was a village man who went to the
mountains to collect snails, and he was killed. The villagers went to search for him, and
found a secret terrorist training camp.

Since the British time the Bengalis have been brought into this area to work. Since they
started coming here they have thought, "It's very good land, and we can work easily here, so
we have to invade and get rid of the infidels that live here, and we will make it our Islamic
land." Since those days they have had that kind of thinking.

In my father's days here, it was very bad. There were so many Rakhine Buddhists killed, and
so many villages burned and destroyed, and now in 2016, and 2017 we are attacked again
and again by the Bengali Muslims. We have a government. Why do we have to be attacked
again and again? We are the local indigenous people. This is our native land - our ancestral
land.

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

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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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