An interview with U Aung Thaung Shwe, ex-Lower House MP from Buthidaung Township
September 27th, 2022
The military council torched Thabeiktaung village with around 60 households and a population of around 300, in south of Buthidaung Township in Arakan State. In addition, the military council abducted six villagers. Some houses including the houses owned by U Tha Tun, U Aung Tun Sein and U Maung Phyu in Arakanese village in Thabeiktaung were burned down on September 23rd.
The detainees from Thabeiktaung village are: U Maung Phyu, 35, U Shwe Tun, 38, U Nyunt Win, 35, U Maung Myo Win,37 , Ko Tun Thar Hla,24 and Maung Than Tun Aung,16. According to locals, the crimes were committed by soldiers and the No.8 Battalion of the Border Guard Police Force based about one mile from Thabeiktaung village. On the morning of September23th, the military council fired heavy shells into Thabeiktaung village.
After the villagers fled the village at around 9:30 pm, the military council entered the village and burned down the houses. The following is an interview with U Aung Thaung Shwe, ex-Lower House MP from Buthidaung Township about the military council’s burning of houses in a village.
Q: As an ex-MP, what do you comment on the firing of heavy shells into Thabiketaung village in Buthidaung Township, the burning of houses and the arrest of villagers?
A: Yes. Yesterday, the army fired heavy shells and weapons. The villagers fled the village. Some villagers were injured. The army burned the village when the people were not present. In the morning, the army abducted six villagers. This is a tradition of the military government. The army did it before. I think the military is intentionally instilling fear into the Arakan people.
Q: May I know your view on the military council’s burning of villages and indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets?
A: The army is doing it intentionally. The military is intentionally carrying out targeted attacks on the public without any fighting in order to instill fear into the public. The military is committing crimes against humanity on purpose. This is a very vulgar act. They are committing such cases. I want to say that the military is doing the act which should not be done.
Q: How can the military council’s attacks on civilian targets be prevented?
A: In the past, the MPs publicly submitted their proposals at parliaments. However, there was no action taken. We find it difficult to deal with this problem as there is no parliament. We will make objections to these acts for the public by using the means available.
Q: May I know your view on the military council’s compiling the list of civilian activists and arrests of them in Arakan State?
A: The military arrests activists, those involved in politics, organizations and associations and ordinary persons after compiling the lists of them. I think this is aimed at instilling fear into the public and barring Arakan people from partly providing assistance on all fronts.
Q: May I know your view on the military council’s pressure on the return of some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Paletwa Townships despite the rising number of the refugees displaced by the refreshed fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military council?
A: This is impossible. Taking a look at the international situations, the authorities have no rights to do the forced return of the refugees. The military council is doing it on purpose in order that the people suffer dolour and have no places to live in. In my view, this is an intentional act. Yesterday, the army put a similar pressure in Buthidaung. These are inhuman acts. The military is committing the crimes against the Arakan people vindictively. That’s to say, the military council is violating the Geneva Convention as well as practicing the inhumane Fascist system. This is the military’s tradition. The military is committing big crimes.
Sent by Khaing Lu Hla (Yoma Myay)