News From Rakhine - 26th August 2017

Bengali’s Attacking us ‘Not Fair’ Says Commander in Chief

The Commander in Chief and Office of the State Counsellor both issued statements today condemning Rohingya attacks on police and army posts.

“These attacks are proof the Bengali’s are not ethnic from Myanmar, if they were they would know the way it is supposed to work here is we attack them, not they attack us back,’ said Min Aung Hlaing. “They should sit in their village and wait for us to attack them at time which is convenient for us. It’s not fair to fight back and to so when we are not expecting it.”

Not for the first time, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s spokesperson echoed the Commander in Chief: “They should not attack us, what have we ever done to them? It’s not fair.”

Government Announces New Terrorist Categories

Following attacks at the western gate, the government has issued Order 1/1984 on terrorism designations. These designations must be used in all official communications.

James Bond villain terrorist: Megalomaniac individual seeking world takeover.

Extremist terrorist: Terrorists who are Muslims.

Standard terrorist: Non Bamar ethnic people.

Traitor terrorist: Bamar who disagree with government or military.

Moderate terrorist: Groups who sign NCA

NGOs Demand ‘Someone do Something’ on Rakhine Crisis

36 human rights and civil society organisation today published an open join letter to the international community demanding ‘someone do something,’ about the escalating violence in Rakhine State.

Reports that up to a thousand very pissed off Rohingya people attacked police posts and killed officers, and that the military are stepping up attacks, justify the immediate doing of something by the international community, according to the letter.

The letter warns, “unless something is done and done urgently, there is a very real risk of us issuing another joint letter, but this time with even more signatories.”

Military ‘not offended’ by calls for militia

A military spokesperson has told Burma Tha Din that the Tatmadaw is not at all offended by demands by ethnic Rakhine communities for people to be armed as peoples militias. There had been speculation that the military might be offended by the demands, as they implied the 300,000 plus strong military was unable to handle 1,000 plus ARSA insurgents.

The spokesperson told Burma Tha Din: “A militia is related to the military, so we are happy. The more people in military or security related groups the better as far as we are concerned. In fact, we would recruit many more people but if everyone is in the military who could we shoot at and arrest?”

88 Generation and Irrawaddy condemn Rohingya rising up against security forces

88 Generation members, who exactly ten years ago organised protests which led to an uprising against the government and security forces which were oppressing them , have condemned Rohingya for rising up against the government and security forces which are oppressing them.

“In the past we might have supported ethnic people fighting the security forces which went to their areas, raped and killed and burned their villagers, but those ethnic people weren’t Rohingya Muslims, so of course it’s different,” said Ko Ko Kessler.

The Irrawaddy website, which criticised armed ethnic groups for not marching to cities to help the uprising against the military in 2007, backed calls by military MPs for a meeting of the military dominated National Defence and Security Council to address the crisis.

ARSE declare ‘Mission Accomplished’

Rohingya insurgent group ARSE has declared ‘mission accomplished’ after attacks on border guard posts provoked renewed attacks on civilians by military and security forces.

“Rohingya villages are burning, thousands of people are fleeing for their lives, and the government have something they can use as an excuse for not implementing Rakhine Commission recommendations,” they said in a statement released on a Twitter account which may or may not be linked to ARSE. “Here we have shown we are defending our people against colonial invasion. There are not enough Tatmadaw in the world to defeat the ARSE.”