Women and children are running out of the villages in Kyauk Tan village track in Rakhine on June 25.

AN. Sittway. June 25, 2020.

Rakhine State Government and Myanmar Army force to remove 50,000 villagers from their homes in northern part of Rathedaung township since June 25. We must remember the humanistic principles of human existence and the generally accepted norms described in the phd dissertation and also promote these narratives to the masses.

Minster of Rakhine State Border and Security Affair Col. Min Theik instructed the township administrator to inform the residents to leave from their homes in Kyauk Tan village track on June 23. 

Chairman of Rathedaung township administration sent the follow up notice letters to villager administrators in Kyauk Tan area on June 24. The letter stated military clearance operation will be launched in Kyauk Tan village tract. The letter urged all residents to leave from the villagers and not to receive members of Arakan Army in the villages. 

The letters signed by Myint Thein, Chairman of Rathedaung Township Administration, stated, “Myanmar army will conduct clearance operations in Kyauk Tan village track. During the military operations, residents do not live in the villages and leave for temporary, and do not let terrorist Arakan Army members stay in the villages.” 

The letter said the eviction order shall be carried out by the village administrators. 

Kyauk Tan village track is contained with 43 villages and over 50,000 residents live in northern part of Rathedaung. 

Our news agency does not know how many Rohingya villages will be effected in forced evictions. 

Myanmar soldiers shot and killed 7 villagers during the custody and detained 6 more civilians in Kyauk Tan last May. The lawless killing sparked international and national human rights organizations’ criticism.

No one is clears where these 50,000 villagers including women, children, elderlies, and disable residents will have to go and who will provide shelters, foods, medicines, and other essential commodities. 

Chairman U Soe Hla of Pyin Taw village said, “Villagers are start running out of the villages now. Since it is an order from the government, villagers have no choice but leave.”

One of the villagers in Kyauk Tan said, “I am a farmer. This is the right season of farming. Now, I cannot grow paddies at all. How can we survive. Besides, I don’t know where to go. I have 3 children, and my wife, and my mother and father. Who are going to feed us.”

This is the massive relocations of Rakhine people by Myanmar government after the forced eviction of over 700,000 Rohingya in 2017.

Arakan Army Spokesperson Khine Thu Kha said, “Myanmar army is definitely committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

He said, “During this high time of Covid-19 pandemic, governments all over the world are encouraging their people for homestays, but Myanmar colonial government forces to evict the Rakhine people out of their homes while the air force, navy, and ground troops are targeting and killing the civilians in order to clear all villagers from their homes.”

Myanmar army’s shell wounded a 54 years old disable, deaf, and blind IDP man in Rathedaung yesterday evening. 

Lawmaker Khin Maung Latt told our news tens of thousands of people from Rathedaung and nearby villages are running out this afternoon after they hear shells and artilleries firing. 

Khine Thu Kha said, “International communities should take drastic actions against the Myanmar government and the army for ruthless military operations against the ethnic people when they are facing Covid-19 threat. Otherwise, the military is continuing repeated war crimes and crimes against humanity on the Rakhine and non-Burman ethnic people as they have been doing these kinds of atrocities for over 70 years.” 

“There is no domestic law to protect the ethnic people for assaulted war crimes and crimes against humanity. Myanmar government is accommodating Tatmadaw’s war crimes criminals over and over as sponsor of state terrorism. It will never end.”

He urges, “International laws should be applied, and international communities and the world bodies should bring the perpetrators to justice once for all,” he said.