A Rohingya fisherman was brutally assaulted by a gang of Buddhist nationalists in Kyauktaw. The victim identified as Helal (40) is in a critical state following the attack.
On Saturday afternoon at around 2 pm, six Rohingya fishermen from Ranipara went for fishing near the Nga Thun Ka road. While they were fishing, a gang of Rakhine men charged aggressively towards them from the direction of the Buddhist settlement of Teppetuza. Four of the Rohingyas managed to escape but Helal tumbled and fell in the hands of the gang. He was then brutally assaulted and abandoned on the spot in an semi conscious state.
Although it is forbidden for the Muslims to venture out after darkness, a Rohingya search party from the Ranipara village rescued him at the risk of their lives at around 6 pm. His health is however degrading tremendously as the community has no access to medical care.
Since the riots of 2012, Muslim settlements in Kyauktaw and nearby townships have been under a state of blockade imposed by Buddhist vigilantes backed by security forces. Rohingya activists allege this is a systematic policy adopted by the regime to deprive the Muslim community from their livelihood and ultimately wipe out the last remnants of Muslim existence in the region.
Attacks like this have been very common in the last few years often leading to starvation like circumstances in many Muslim settlements as fishermen and loggers face continuous attacks from both Buddhist vigilantes and state forces when they go out in search of a livelihood. Fishing and logging are the mainstay occupations for many Rohingyas.
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