A/HRC/39/CRP.2
witness recalled witnessing a young girl, 8 or 9-years old, who was selling vegetables, shot
and killed by the police at a market. The police later said that this had been a mistake. 1332
Another interviewee described the killing of a Rohingya woman by the police:
There was a small market close to my house in Hari hamlet. On 9 June 2012, I went
there to buy food for my friend. At around 9:30 am, 10 police officers came to the
market. One police officer shot at a 30-year old woman who was running. I saw this
with my own eyes. The police took the woman in their car.1333
636. Villagers were prevented from collecting dead bodies, or even injured persons, and
soldiers shot at persons who did this. 1334 Often, police or soldiers would remove the dead
bodies in their vehicles. The Mission received credible reports alleging the presence of two
mass graves just outside Maungdaw town on the road leading to Buthidaung. 1335 Moreover,
one interviewee stated that he saw soldiers come several times at night to put dead bodies in
a pit in a field. He said that dead bodies were swept into the adjacent river, where he saw
them floating.1336
637. In addition to killings by security forces, the Mission received reports of killings of
ethnic Rakhine by Rohingya and killings of Rohingya by ethnic Rakhine.
Arbitrary arrests
638. Arbitrary arrests of large numbers of Rohingya by the police, NaSaKa and Tatmadaw
was a further feature of events after 8 June 2012. This continued for some months. 1337 Many
of those arrested were arbitrarily accused of participation in the violence, in an apparent act
of collective punishment. One interviewee explained how, on 9 June 2012, many Rohingya
were taken to the police station near Munshi mosque in big open trucks that could take about
50 people.1338 In some instances, the detainees subsequently disappeared.1339 On many
occasions, the authorities offered to release a detainee against payment of a heavy bribe.
People who could not pay the bribe were often transferred to Buthidaung prison. 1340 One
interviewee stated:
When the police or Tatmadaw soldiers arrested someone, they used to keep them for
two or three days in the local police station and wait for relatives to pay them bribes.
Those who managed to pay the money were released. The others were sent to prison.
I was arrested, along with seven other villagers and accused of participation in the
violence. Some villagers were poor and couldn’t pay the bribe. They were taken to
Buthidaung prison and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Others, including myself,
bribed the authorities and were released.1341
639. Some ethnic Rakhine were also arbitrarily arrested and detained, accused of
participation in the violence.1342
640. In addition to the mass arrests of Rohingya, the authorities also arrested specific
Rohingya whose names were on prepared lists.1343 Young men, educated people, NGO
workers and religious leaders were targeted. 1344 NGO workers from Maungdaw and
Buthidaung Townships described receiving a letter asking them to go to the police station
because of their alleged involvement in the violence. Some were released upon payment of a
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1338
1339
1340
1341
1342
1343
1344
150
DI-073.
DI-003
CI-082, CI-173, DI-054.
K-106.4.
CI-173.
CI-072, CI-076, CI-082, CI-091, CI-136, CI-173, CI-174, CI-175, CI-192, CI-193, DI-006, DI-025,
DI-038, DI-054, DI-073, DI-075, QI-108, QI-106, XI-008, ZI-002.
DI-073.
CI-173, DI-025.
See this chapter, section C.3: Torture and ill-treatment at Buthidaung prison.
CI-065.
DI-039.
CI-061, CI-136, CI-173, CI-175, DI-025.
CI-061, CI-065, DI-003, DI-004, DI-025, DI-037, DI-038, DI-051, DI-056, QI-106.