Continue, we will hear from Kay Zue, a member of Lay Waddy FM, about the devastating impact on mothers and wives who are losing their husbands and sons due to the military council’s crimes along the Arakan coast.

“My oldest son’s body lies near the sea. On that day, there was no funeral society to help—we had to bury him ourselves. We went to the cemetery and buried my son’s body. There is no monk, so, we couldn’t do the religious burial.

• My eldest son was 55 years old.
• My grandson is 17 years old.
• We still don’t know if they were killed or not.

We are far away, with no contact, and I haven’t heard any news yet.”

Along the Arakan coast, the military council is committing severe human rights violations and illegal actions. The Arakan coastal region, an ethnic area already amidst conflict, is the second poorest state in Myanmar.

Another notable aspect of the Arakan coast is the large construction projects jointly built by the Chinese and Myanmar governments, which are exploiting natural resources. These projects are being carried out without providing clear information to the indigenous ethnic groups or the broader population of Myanmar. The military government has made it difficult for local people living along the Arakan coast to access education, economic opportunities, and transportation, forcing them to live in conflict, war, and unrest.

After the 2021 military coup, the military council violently arrested and imprisoned human rights activists and indigenous rights advocates from various regions. Over the next three years, the revolutionary war between ethnic forces and revolutionary groups escalated, leading to intense battles over city control. Nearly all cities along the Arakan coast, including Kyauk Phyu, Sittwe, Mrauk-U, Thandwe, have been heavily impacted by the fighting. As the indigenous people chose to support a revolution aimed at overthrowing the military council and reclaiming areas controlled by the coup government, the military council’s human rights violations against the Rakhine population are more intensified.

Two soldiers came. They said they don’t want to stay in the military anymore and were planning to leave. They asked father and son to take them by boat.

They said they will give only three minutes to decide. But then, they were shot directly.

On April 13th, in Thandwe Township, a fierce battle erupted between the AA Army and the Military Council. During the conflict, after the AA captured the Ngapali-Mazin airport, the Military Council troops took residents as human shields to ensure their escape. Tragically, during this time, father and son, who are working in the fishery industry were caught up in the violence. The father and son were shot and killed when the father was arrested while asking them to drive to the safe place by boat. 

Just before the shot, the older son went to the toilet and then came back out. He was grabbed by the back of his neck and taken away. My husband had already been shot. Seeing his father was shot, the middle son lay down his body, so, he was survived. As they were shooting, I screamed, and I thought the military dropped their heavy weapon, and it passed our house roof. My son got up and said, “Mom, we can’t stay here anymore, we need to run.” He told me they had shot my husband.

When I asked my son who shot him, he said that two soldiers had shot his father and took older brother. When I asked about his younger brother, he said that he was in the mosquito net. I called my son, and we ran and hid behind the house.

After her son and husband were brutally killed, Ma Bae Ou had to bury them herself.

Regarding the injuries, my husband was shot twice in the back. As for my older son, I believe they shot him from behind, and it seems the bullet exited here. A small rib was broken, and there was a bullet wound that tore through the skin on his throat. My oldest son’s body lies near the sea.

On that day, there was no funeral society to help—we had to bury him ourselves. I went to the cemetery and buried my son’s body. There was no monk, so we couldn’t do religious burial.

Ma Bae Ou walked from the war zone to the refugee camp. She now has to live in a refugee camp in Gwa township, along with many others who fled during the battle in Thandwe town.

In the incident that occurred last June, this family was not the only one to suffer. War crimes were committed against nearly an entire village. In another horrifying event, soldiers from the military council dragged the entire village out of their homes, tied their hands, and shot over 40 men in the village of White Egret, near Sittwe, the capital city of the Arakan coast.

The military called us out, and we all complied, thinking they wanted to check our household list. However, they arrested all the men, both young and old, and forced them to sit under the scorching sun.

Children and women were separated from the men. The men were left without food or water and made to endure the intense heat for two to three days.

In White Egret Village, Daw Sein Hla (name changed), along with her two sons and a grandson, were caught up in this brutal incident. Tragically, she will never see her sons and grandson again.

“Ask women not to look,” Then, six shots rang out behind me. I don’t know if they were killed or not. We are far away and haven’t heard any news.

• The youngest son is 35 years old.
• The eldest son is 55 years old.
• The grandson is 17 years old.

I have not received any contact. I have not heard any news about them.

Daw Sein Hla is now living in a refugee camp in Sittwe Township, along with other villagers. Despite repeated requests by ethnic armed groups in discussions with the military council to avoid targeting civilians, the military council continues to do so.

Human rights violations and war crimes committed by military council troops against residents along the Arakan coast are escalating day by day. Mothers and wives from the Arakan coast, who have lost their husbands and sons due to arrests and killings by the military, continue to suffer as the military council commits atrocities, including using civilians as human shields.

You can listen to the Rakhine news program on Lay Waddy FM every Thursday via Mizzima Radio. This program is sponsored by the Earth Journalism Network (EJN). Additionally, it’s available on Lay Waddy FM’s Facebook page, website, and YouTube channel.