The Irrawaddy heard a first-hand account of a suspected ARSA attack from Kamala, one of 12 Hindu family members who were returning home from working as casual laborers in Myin Hlut village in southern Maungdaw on Aug. 26 when they were caught in clashes between ARSA and the military.

Kamala of No. 4 Quarter in downtown Maungdaw recalled seeking refuge in a district court building that was undergoing construction when “about 100” terrorists wielding guns, machetes, and slingshots shouted at them, “Hindus are there…we must kill them first,” she said through a translator.

The militants wore black clothes and masks, she said, and screamed, “Allah has come to take you.” Six of the family was killed, including her husband and one of her children, she said, while she was shot in the chest, fell unconscious and left for dead.

Four children and another woman managed to escape to a neighboring village where security forces were deployed.

Kamala was hospitalized in Buthidaung Township where she met The Irrawaddy and was transferred to Sittwe on Saturday for further medical treatment.

Guran Gaw, a Hindu resident of Maungdaw who was sheltering in a downtown school, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that nearly 300 Hindus were stranded in La Tha village on the outskirts of the town, where they felt vulnerable to the threat of militant attacks.

Rohingya terrorists told the Hindus “we will kill you if you try to flee from this village,” he said. Another Hindu, Shu Bun, also known as Kyaw Kyaw Naing, and several other Hindus said they saw on Aug. 26 militants shoot a Hindu man and torch Hindus’ houses.

The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the account. According to Shu Bun, 30 Hindus have been missing since the clashes flared.

Here is a video of Shu Bun narrating his horrific experience –

On Sep. 1, Myanmar security forces escorted 300 Hindus from La Tha and 199 Hindus from Nga Yan Chaung village, according to the government. Several Hindu sources, were concerned, however, that Hindus of Kha Maung Siek village in northern Maungdaw needed evacuating.

Altogether, the government says so far it has evacuated about 13,530 non-Muslims, including 9,402 from 43 villages in Maungdaw, and 2,326 from 34 villages in Buthidaung. Some 1,800 are Hindus and the rest Arakanese.

This video explains what the native Arakenese are facing –

(Source: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/arson-and-bloodshed-in-rakhines-maungdaw.html/amp)

HinduPost has covered the brutal massacre of 6 members of the Hindu family, that the survivor Kamala is talking about, in an earlier article.

Not one mainstream media outlet in Bharat has covered the plight of Myanmarese Hindus in the recent unrest in Rakhine state – all reports are focused on the difficulties of Rohingya Muslim refugees. Why?

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