December 1, 2016
Inhabitants of the scattered Rohingya settlements in Kyauktaw township are passing their days in terror after Rakhine neighbours were noticed carrying automatic rifles. Locals allege these rifles have been handed out by the Tatmadaw in the last few days in preparation for the ‘final ethnic cleansing’ of Muslims in the region.
A Rohingya man in the Balti para neighbourhood told our correspondent some Rakhine men carrying automatic assault rifles were seen moving suspiciously near the Rohingya neighbourhood in the later hours of Friday. The incidents have been continuing throughout the week. The men keep watch over the Muslim settlement from a distance but do not approach or have any interaction with the Rohingyas. They are elusive and fade away quickly, said our local sources.
However, many of them have been identified as Rakhine villagers who inhabit the local settlements. Most of them are farmers by profession and not part of any security forces. They are working in an area where there is a strong presence of security forces, thus dispelling notions they are members of the insurgent group Arakan Army. Although the insurgent group has strong support in the area, the armed men seem to be more in league with Buddhist nationalists campaigning for a Rohingya free Arakan.
Under such circumstances, the locals fear they have been armed by the government to carry out massacres against the Rohingyas.
Fear of a 2012 style carnage is gripping terrified Rohingyas in the township. The Rohingyas are a minority in the township and will be engulfed if a Rakhine mob attacks them, as they were in 2012. To make matters worse, the mob is likely to be better armed this time.
Since 2012, the Muslims of the townships outside the Mayu frontier area have been forbidden from leaving their villages with vigilant Rakhine mobs backed by security forces enforcing a strict blockade. The situation has led to chronic food shortages in the area.
Tensions also erupted in the Mamra IDP camp where a Rakhine mob took positions and began taking away livestock. They did not prolong the attack and withdrew when a big group of Muslims came out and protested. There are fears that they will embark on a renewed offensive with the backing of security forces.
Meanwhile in an abrupt move, the security forces took prisoners out of the infamous Buthidaung prison. Most sources say they are currently under guard in the nearby jungles. One source however claimed they are being transported to Akyab.
Buthidaung prison is one of the most notorious centres where scores of Muslims have been tortured to death and many maimed for life since 2012.
In a surprise move, throughout Maungdaw North, soldiers asked Rohingya villagers who had fled their destroyed homes to return and resume normal activities. The displaced people are confused if this is a ploy to capture them, or ensure normalcy before the visit of UN envoy Kofi Annan. In the last few weeks, most Rohingyas in the region have been hiding in the paddy fields or the wilderness as anyone found is arrested or killed.
Despite the attempted peace offering, Lound Don remained tense as soldiers raided the area and gang raped at least one woman on Tuesday night. The next morning, the army team returned, entered a local mosque and tore pages from the holy Quran. A helicopter also buzzed overhead creating renewed panic throughout the neighbourhood. Scores of Rohingyas were killed when Tatmadaw attacked the village tract last week. 
