Kaladan News

Meeting To Avoid Communal Violence Held At Maung Daw

Maungdaw, December 10: Recently a meeting on the issue of communal violence was held at Maungdaw Town, Arakan State, with the initiative of Tactical Operation Command (TOC) Commander of Buthidaung, urging the participants to guard and avoid any communal troubles, according to our correspondent.

District Peace and Development Council (DPDC) Chairman, Township PDC Chairman Captain Hla Pho, District Police Inspector, Township PI, Officers-in-Charge (OCs) of Police Stations, Secretary of the Township Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), Village PDC Chairmen, the Chairman and Secretary of Township Islamic Religious Council, Chairman and Secretary of the Township Burma Muslim Organization (BMO), Secretary of Ulema Organization and some elite of the Rakhine community were invited to the meeting, he further said.

In the meeting held at the District PDC office of Maungdaw at about 11:00 am, the TOC Commander said, “ I am a Mon national and I have come here on behalf of the Western Command Commander Brig. General Maung Oo. It is very important to take sterner measure for security in the townships of Maungdaw and Buthidaung in order to avoid untoward incidents like the riots that broke out in Kyaukse, Rangoon and Mandalay.

He further said, “Nowadays, untoward racial and religious violence have become widespread due to persecution of one people by another. The two communities of Rakhine and Muslim are living in these townships. You may see at the grim situation in Bosnia and Chechnya.” He specially warned the Rakhine, “ Don’t oppress and suppress the Muslims lest they will put up strong resistance when it becomes unbearable for them.”

In addition, he said, “ These Muslims are not entered Burma recently. They have been living here since many decades. The first peoples to enter Burma belong to the racial stocks of Mon-Khamer, Tibeto-Burman, Phu-Thet, and Kathay. In my opinion, today’s Muslims in Burma belong to Kathay group. Therefore, the Muslims are indigenous to Burma like Shan, Kachin, Karen and Mon. If any communal violence like the one of 1942 breaks out, Rakhines will have to flee from this area. So, it is most urgent to take strong security measures in all quarters of Maungdaw and Buthidaung towns, including mosques and monasteries.”

“But this meeting is held to muster public support for the 7 point road-map recently declared by new Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt. It is a bluff of SPDC. They are simply trying to find way out of the difficult situation by deceiving the people. In fact, the countrywide racial violence and riots, between Muslims and Buddhists, were incited and patronized by the SPDC authorities,” said a Businessman asking not to be named. ##

For further information, please contact Kaladan Press at:

Mobile: (+880) 11 227 138,

Email: [email protected]