My name is May Than Htay,

and I am from Thayar Kyong Village,

in Maungdaw Township,
Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in refugee camp in Sittwe,
Sept 26, 2017

The Bengali men always talk to us, Buddhist

Rakhine women, so crudely and boisterously. We
are really afraid of them. On August 25, 2017 they
attacked our village. We had to flee our village so
suddenly. Some of us villagers were hacked to
death with swords and others with us were
wounded. We had to run to the mountains nearby.

In the mountains we found some Bengali handmade landmines and then we were even
more scared, and afraid to go in any direction. But, we were also afraid of the Bengali
terrorists. It took us a few days to cross the mountains. We need the government to get
rid of all of the terrorists and drive away the Bengalis. We are so afraid of them. We
cannot live near those violent people.

In northern Rakhine State the Bengali Muslims outnumber us. They have a lot of
weapons and we have almost nothing. There is not enough security here, and we don't
have anything to protect our village and families, so we cannot live together with the
Bengalis who just want to kill us. I would rather live poor starving and die in Rakhine
State than live near the Bengalis with their cruel violence.

When we were hiding in the mountains I saw a security vehicle on the road nearby. I ran
over to it and said,"Please help us, take us to a safe place.” There was only one security
vehicle and it was already full. The officer said he will come back here and rescue us
later. By then Bengalis were coming out of villages and watching. I was so frightened
and mad, and said, “then just pull out your guns and shoot all of us." So, now if the
vehicle left then we would be slaughtered by the Bengalis. So, then the security officer
changed the plan and we walked with the security to the mountain town of Taung Byo
Let Way.

On that long walk up the mountain there were some Bengali villages where they
watched our slow progress. And, homemade landmines were found - it was frightening.

If the government brings Bengalis back here, the next generation of them will be worse,
we cannot live with those violent and cruel Bengalis. There is not enough security here,
and we don't have anything to protect our village and families, so we cannot live
together with the Bengalis who just want to kill us. I would rather live poor starving and
die in Rakhine State than live near the Bengalis with their cruel violence. We need the
government to get rid of all terrorists, and drive way the Bengalis. We are so afraid of
them.

Interviewed by Rick Heizman 1 rick@rickhiezmanreality.com

 My name is Sein Nu,
and I am from Taung Byo Village,
in Maungdaw Township,
Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in refugee camp in Sittwe,
September 26, 2017

I am Diegnet ethnicity.

One night we started to hear the terrible news

about Bengalis attacking security outposts and
villages, burning them and killing people. And, we
heard that the Bengalis were kidnapping the pretty
unmarried girls among the Hindus, Buddhists, and
tribal people. All of this was frightening.

So our village fled quickly, there were no security forces around and we were terrified.
Two people – 1 Mro, and one Burmese were caught and killed as we fled. We had to walk
so far, but finally there was a bus that we could use to get to safety in Buthidaung. And
then we managed to get to Sittwe.

Now I am so sickened by this situation made by the Bengalis and so scared. I don't want
to go out anywhere. I don't know anything about my village, and all the villagers, or
whether our homes are burned or not.

This is the third time I have had to escape from these crazy violent Bengalis. I don't
want them near me.

Interviewed by Rick Heizman 2 rick@rickhiezmanreality.com

 A village lady from Kyauk Pan Du Village,
in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in Kyauk Pan Du, January 16, 2018

Since the 24th of August, 2017, the behavior and

demeanor of the neighboring Bengali Moslems was very
very strange - as the Rakhine Buddhist people who lived
here noted.

Normally the Bengalis would come over to sell some

vegetables or fish to the Rakhine villagers, and likewise
we might have foodstuffs or things that the Bengalis
would buy from us. But on the 24th, it was very
noticeable that no Bengalis were around to sell things. It
was highly unusual and that's why Rakhine people were very alert and apprehensive.

On August 25th, 2017, very early in the morning darkness, around 3:00 am, we were all
awakened by the sounds of boys yelling so loudly, boys and men yelling in their Bengali
language. And, the noise of tin plates being struck was terrifying. Then that stopped, but,
there was another strange sound, men in the eastern part of their village would shout
something and and men in the western part would answer it - it was going back and forth.
And then I heard a bomb explode. There were many Bengalis on the one (and only) road
here, and also in the west part of the Bengali Village. They moved in the darkness towards
the police outpost, and then they suddenly attacked it, and set it on fire. There were many
Bengali shouting things like "go away infidels! This is Allah’s land! You are filthy idol-
worshipers!” We Rakhine people were so scared.

In terror we all ran to another police outpost. We were all trying to hide for safety under
anything, behind anything, sometimes there was a huge explosion, the Bengalis had some
bombs.

Then at 5:00 am, the Bengalis went to their mosques to pray, and then they came back.
There was a big and old Banyan tree at the end of the Rakhine village, a Nat tree (Nats are
nature or territory spirits which many people believe can have powers of good or bad, and
can be consulted or feared). The Bengalis were congregating there.

Q - What kind of weapons did they have?

A - When they came out they had swords, knives, wooden clubs, and bombs.

Some of them even wore black masks. Around 6:00 am, the police and army showed up.
There was a small police post near the Bengali village nearby. As the security forces were
going towards it to assist the badly outnumbered police there, they had to cross a small
bridge. A Bengali landmine blew up the truck and damaged the bridge. Two policemen were
injured, but none were killed. All the villagers were hiding in the ‘bomb holes’ (deep
trenches) at the police outpost for protection, with security forces maintaining a perimeter
around them.

When the military arrived the Bengalis were not even afraid of it. Only when the military
fired warning shots in the air did the Bengalis retreat.

Interviewed by Rick Heizman 3 rick@rickhiezmanreality.com

 A women from a village in Maungdaw
Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar
interviewed in refugee camp in Sittwe,
September 26, 2017

Before, we lived peacefully in our Rakhine Buddhist

village, farming and fishing.

My brother's son was tortured, maimed, and hacked to

death. They cut out his tongue, and cut off his ears,
and hacked his arms and legs and neck. He had gone
out to the forest and never came back. The police
eventually found his body. We could not even
recognize his face, it was so mutilated. We were so
sickened to see his mutilated body. How can the Bengalis be so cruel?

When we had to go out of our village and encounter Bengalis they were always so
troublesome. We could live peacefully with others – Hindus, Mro, Khamti and others.

The Bengalis attacked our village with homemade bombs, so many bombs exploding, in the
middle of the night. We didn't even know which way to run.

They were about 120 people living in our village which had Rakhine, Hindu, Deignet, Mro
and others. All of us get along with each other fine, but all of us have so much trouble with
the Bengalis. I am fifty six years old, and we have had to run from Bengali attacks before,
but this time is the worst.

We have done nothing bad to them. We are kind and honest. Before, they came to our
village, young and old, and it was no problem. But, then they can get so crazy and storm
into our village to kill us all. We were always kind to them, and we did nothing to harm
them. How can they think it is okay to kill us? The Bengalis are so cruel. Before killing a
person that person will suffer so greatly – their arms and legs get cut off, their tongue and
ears cut off, their head can be cut off.

We have lost everything. We just only have the clothes we were wearing when we escaped.

The monk of the village quickly arranged for a couple of cars or trucks to evacuate the
village, but still it wasn't enough for all the villagers. We had a car to escape the madness,
but it was impossible to take all of the villagers in it. Everybody wanted to escape
immediately.

If we went back to our village and I even imagined the face of a Bengali I would be so
scared I would run away and never come back. We can only stay in our village if there is
better security and more security police men. If not, then we can't go back. We cannot live
with the fear of being tortured and killed. Our village is surrounded by Bengali villages, so
many Bengalis. And we are in such fear. How can we live like this? They have guns, swords,
and bombs to use against us.

Some of their bombs exploded and some did not explode. If all of their bombs had exploded
then we would just be in pieces on the ground.
Interviewed by Rick Heizman 4 rick@rickhiezmanreality.com