Latest conditions of Muslims in Rakhine, informed by the recent returnees (1)

27 August 2012
M-Media

There is not yet a real Genocide in Arakan State. But we observed that there are conditions forcing them into mass death leading to an impending “genocide”.

For example, they are under Martial Law: which limited their mobility and they could not buy anything. Another factor is that if the conditions continue like this present situation, they all would be stuck in the refugee camps leading to a slow death.
Diarrhoea, Cholera, Malaria and Dengue Fever are wide spread there. Some died infront of us while we were trying to save them.

No toilet, no sanitary latrine, no clean drinking water or clean water for household use. Piles of faeces are everywhere near the ponds, even difficult to put a step to it. No medicine. Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients became immune because of lack of anti-Tuberculoses medication.

No mosquito nets. Although there was a continuous shower of rains, huge swamps of mosquitoes repeatedly invaded wonderfully into the camps.

There are numerous malnourished children and adults there. (Their photographs were shown at the talk in the mosque in mainland Myanmar, after the night prayers). Children with skin on bone appearances with bloated tummies were seen. Although they have some dried meat and fish, there are no vegetables and no fruits available to eat except the grass. Yes, some have to eat grass and I have even seen some children who have no food at all and their mothers have to cut their hair and feed them.

Local leader helped to control the huge amount of unruly patients. Those who pushed to the front were slapped, Japanese style, or slashed with cane to force them back. Those assaulted patients even failed to show the physical or mental pain they suffered. It is a pity that they just obeyed and accepted the assault quietly like the cows (or animals). They are too scared and mentally depressed.
Most of them are illiterate.

Donated few hundred thousand Kyats could just provide six condensed-milk-tins of rice and few thousand Kyats for each of them. I wonder how they could continue to cope and stand before the international aids arrived to them individually.
These people are trapped in Rakhine state with the disaster, in different condition from their original status, and are slowly going to die without been killed. Therefore we could be guilty and indirectly held responsible if we knowingly abandon them or neglected to let them die slowly.

Most important thing is we need to arrange for immediate requirements for food and medical care.