203 Arakanese groups abroad condemn junta’s Sittwe Twsp massacre

By Admin 08 Jun 2024

DMG Newsroom
8 June 2024, Sittwe

A total of 203 Arakanese social and fraternal organisations abroad have issued a statement condemning the junta’s recent massacre of civilians in Sittwe Township’s Byaing Phyu Village.

The massacre was a blatant act of brutal genocide, said the 203 organisations, calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

Signatories to the statement included several groups outside Myanmar representing Arakanese, Chin, Kachin, Karenni, Palaung, Pa-O, Shan and other ethnic communities abroad. Multiple signatories in neighbouring Bangladesh were joined by organisations elsewhere in the region such as Malaysia and Thailand, and from more far-flung locations including the United States, Norway and Japan.

Around 170 junta troops, members of Arakan Liberation Party/Arakan Liberation Army (ALP/ALA) and Muslim conscripts raided Byaing Phyu Village on May 29, detaining anyone they could find, including children.

They allegedly slaughtered dozens of men and raped some women. According to the latest report from the Arakkha Army (AA), a total of 76 civilians were killed in the massacre in Byaing Phyu.

The ALP/ALA has denied involvement in the massacre in Byaing Phyu Village, saying such allegations are false.

The 203 organisations called for Myanmar’s military regime to be expelled from ASEAN and the United Nations, saying the junta has repeatedly violated international law and the rules that countries must follow as UN Charter signatories.

The Byaing Phyu villagers were forced out of their village on May 30 and 31. A total of 1,588 displaced villagers are taking shelter at seven monasteries in Sittwe Town. The majority of them are children, women and elderly people, and they are facing livelihood hardships.

The 203 organisations offered condolences to the bereaved family members of the slain Byaing Phyu villagers, and said they would do their part to provide needed emergency assistance.