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Rakhines in Cox' Bazaar commemorate 1967 Akyab massacre

Contributed by Webmaster
Monday, 13 August 2007
Last Updated Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh: Over 40 Rakhines in Cox's Bazaar today commemorated the 1967 massacre of Akyab,
Arakan State.
It was organized by Independent Forces of Arakan (IFA) and 43 persons from various organizations such as the
Shew Gas movement, Arakan Patriotic Youth Union (APYU), 88 New Generation, National United Party of Arakan(
NUPA), Rakhine Women's Union, Arakan Labour Association in Exile (ALAE), Youths Active for Human Rights( YAHR),
Gisspa Bulletin and other independent persons participated. The function began at 9 a.m. and the participants received
the Five Precepts of Sayadaw U Sandawara from Thaw Chaung Monastery in Cox's Bazaar. A sermon was delivered
and prayers were held for the people who died in the 1967 massacre of Akyab when Arakanese people were peacefully
demanding rice from the government of the Burma Socialist People's Party (BSPP). "During the demonstration, more
than 300 people were killed including 100 who were burnt alive and buried. More than 100 people were injured including
Rakhine, Rohingya and Khaman," said Dr.Khin Maung, the vice- president of NUPA. The rice agitation had more than
30,000 people peacefully participating on the streets of Akyab. The organizer, U Khine Paw Laung, Second-in-Charge of
IFA, told Kaladan Press that the commemoration was meant to remember the people who gave their lives for the sake of
starving Arakanese people and to remove the forcibly colonized Arakans by Burmese invaders from Arakan kingdom from
them up to now.

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