Guwahati: Maungdaw in western Myanmar witnessed the annual observation of Hindu families’ massacre by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) militants nine years back. The anniversary memorial was organized on 25 August at Maungdaw of Arakan/Rakhine State to honor the Hindus who aced the brutal massacre. Led by the Hindu community affairs committee, the ceremony took place at a monument near Ye Bauk Gyar village in Maungdaw locality, bordering Bangladesh. Quoting the Arakan Princess Media, Sittwe-based Narinjara News reported that the service was conducted at a memorial monument inscribed with the names of the victims.
On 25 August 2017 at around 3 pm, the ARSA militants entered the Hindu village (Ye Bauk Gyar) in northern Maungdaw locality and attacked the residents with guns, swords, sticks, etc. No less than 100 Hindu villagers including women and children were killed in the incident, reported Narinjara News, adding that the armed militants blindfolded over hundred villagers and took them to a nearby jungle area. The Hindu villagers were compelled to convert into Islam, but most of them refused, following which 95 males and eight females were brutally killed. Ye Bauk Gyar Hindu village was later destroyed with fire by the militants.
Initially, the ARSA leadership denied its responsibility over the Hindu killings, but Amnesty International exposed their ruthless activities in respective reports. In fact, the Islamist group launched a coordinated attack on more than 30 western Myanmar border army base & police posts on the same day (25 August 2017), which invited a major crackdown from the Myanmar authoritarian government in Naypyitaw. It aggravated the situation and compelled thousands of Rohingya Muslim families to leave their places and enter Bangladesh for temporary shelter.
The commemoration was attended by more than 250 Maungdaw residents including the victims’ surviving family members and also officials of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA). One of the attending AA officials, expressed his deep sorrow over the massacre and urged everyone to be alert so that such an incident never takes place. He also announced that the memorial site would be renovated and properly maintained here after. The Hindu community appreciated the administration, now controlled by the ULA/AA after acquiring power from the Myanmar military junta, for the support and cooperation to organize the memorial meeting.
Maungdaw Hindu massacre memorial event observed in western Myanmar
