A/HRC/39/CRP.2
mosque and ran in different directions,1317 with security forces surrounding the area soon
after.1318
631. Many of the Rohingya present took part in a protest in the streets of Maungdaw
town1319 and the situation deteriorated, with confrontations between Rohingya demonstrators
and ethnic Rakhine at the nearby United Guest House and clock tower area, a few hundred
metres to the south. According to one interviewee, a group of ethnic Rakhine and monks had
gathered at the Myoma monastery, some armed with swords. 1320 Another interviewee
explained how she had been warned earlier on that day by a monk about the presence of
“Rakhine with long knives” in the vicinity and told that she should go back home. 1321 At the
United Guest House, the Rohingya crowd and ethnic Rakhine on top of the building threw
stones at each other. A video was made showing the Rohingya crowd throwing stones but
not the violence on the side of the ethnic Rakhine. 1322 This video was widely used by the
Government to demonstrate that the Rohingya had “rioted” on 8 June 2012. It projected a
distorted image of the events.
632. The security forces fired their weapons at Rohingya. 1323 A number of people, including
minors, were killed and others were injured. A 10-year old boy was shot and killed.1324 The
violence escalated and witnesses heard the sound of gunshots throughout the night. 1325
633. In various locations in Maungdaw Township, Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine houses
were set on fire by members of the other community. 1326 Muslim shops were looted and
destroyed.1327 The looting was carried out either by ethnic Rakhine in the presence of security
forces or directly by the later. Both Rakhine and Rohingya witnesses described the inaction
of security forces, including when they were called to help stop the violence. 1328 According
to one ethnic Rakhine interviewee:
On 8 June at around 9 pm, I saw Muslims surrounding Rakhine villages so I ran to
the hills. From there, I saw Muslims setting my village on fire. The village
administrator called the security forces but they said they didn’t have the capacity to
come and help.1329
634. Soon after the first incidents in Maungdaw, national media started publishing stories
blaming the Rohingya for the violence. They used incendiary headlines with reference to
“terrorism” and to Rohingya “mobs” attacking the ethnic Rakhine community after the Friday
prayer, with no mention of violence by ethnic Rakhine, nor the active participation of security
forces in the violence.1330
635. In the following weeks, police officers and Tatmadaw soldiers killed Rohingya in
Maungdaw, including women and children. 1331 The killings were unlawful and arbitrary. One
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
CI-192, CI-193, ZI-002.
CI-192, ZI-002.
CI-173, CI-175.
DI-073.
DI-075.
CI-080, CI-175, DI-012, DI-073.
CI-173, CI-175, CI-193, CI-192, DI-004, DI-025, DI-038, DI-051, DI-054, DI-073, QI-100, XI-008,
ZI-002.
DI-054, ZI-002.
DI-004, DI-025, DI-054, DI-073.
CI-076, CI-082, CI-091, CI-092, CI-153, CI-173, CI-174, DI-004, DI-012, DI-038, DI-039, DI-040,
DI-045, DI-051, DI-054, DI-075, QI-106, XI-008.
CI-080, CI-091, DI-073, XI-008.
DI-040, DI-045.
DI-040.
E.g., Myanmar Express, “Circulating news says the Yangon City Hall will be set on fire” (8 June
2012), available at: http://eaglefighter050.blogspot.com/2012/06/blog-post_1187.html (accessed
September 2018); Eleven Media Group, “Riots escalate due to insufficient security in Rakhine city”
(10 June 2012). One interviewee stated that he was very surprised to discover that Eleven Media
already posted pictures about the violence on 8 June when both the phone lines and the internet were
cut (DI-176).
CI-082, CI-173, CI-192, CI-193, DI-003, DI-004, DI-025, DI-038, DI-073, XI-008, ZI-002.
149