11 Bengali workers killed and 16 others injured by artillery fire

By DMG 05 Apr 2019

Cha Lu Aung and Nay Yaung Min/ DMG

April 5, Sittwe

The total of 11 Bengali Muslims was killed and 16 others injured in air strikes from the Tatmadaw’s helicopter attack near Sai Din creek, Abu Phway Yaw, an official from the Sai Din bamboo plantation told the DMG.

One of the workers said that the Tatmadaw carried out an airstrike on April 3 near the Sai Din mountain range where Bengalis were fastening bamboo on a slab of rock.  

“First they dropped three bombs and three other bombs were dropped at another target. Then they came back and dropped three bombs again. There was a total of three bombing raids. Everybody ran down into the creek while some were hiding in the forest,” he said.

The Tatmadaw said in its statement about the attack that they received “solid information” that the Arakan Army (AA) were near Sai Din creek, about 7000 meters east of Wah Khote Chaung village at noon on April 3 and conducted the military operation.

During the air strikes, Bengalis who were with members of AA were hit, six of them were killed and nine others were injured and they are from Tha Yet Pyin, Da Phyu Chaung, Kin Taung, Htate Too Pauk and Phone Nyo Late villages, the Office of Commander- in -Chief said.

But Abu Phway Yaw denied that villagers were with the members of AA.

Similarly, the AA’s spokesperson Khaing Thukha said that members of AA were not with Bengali workers and they did not reach near the creek.

“It was just a weak excuse. There was no clash on that day,” Khaing Thukha said.

About 200 Bengali Muslims are working in bamboo plantations near Sai Din creek that are running by licensed companies.

In 2017, the ARSA assaulted Maungdaw and Buthidaung regions, resulting in clearance operations the Tatmadaw carried out that prompted about 700,000 Bengalis to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, the UN said. The government has denied those figures.

During the ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and Arakan Army, more than 5000 Bengali Muslims in Buthidaung Township have been displaced so far.

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