Historical black day for Buddhists in Meikhtila
(The insider’s accounts of the Meikhtila massacre)
Killing Fields or Apocalypse or Armageddon for Meikhtila Muslims
(This is the Chapter 5 of the series. I will translate the previous chapters later.)
Written by Maung Maung (Shwe Keraweik) and translated by Dr. Ko Ko Gyi.
20 th. March 2013
Black mark in Myanmar history
Black day for Buddhist history
We started to hear the news that there were problems in Meikhtila at about 11 AM that morning.
As U Wirathu was repeatedly preaching HATE SPEECHES there for months, we were worried a little bit but wishfully hoped that it would not grow into a very big problem and would finished peacefully.
At about 12.00 noon, we heard that the condition there became worse. Surprisingly, many worried Mandalay Muslims from the businessmen, entrepreneurs, elders and youths were gathered together (to discuss about Meikhtila).
At about 1.30 PM after the Zuhr (noon) prayer, at the Kasaemia Islamic School in Amyoke Tan (i.e. former Royal Muslim Cannoneers’ or artillery gunners’ quarters designated by King Mindon), the Islamic leaders from Ulama, Islamic Council, Myanmar Muslim Youths Organization, Myanmar Muslim Nationals Organization, Mulvi Organization, Garana Organization, Salahiyatul Ulama Association and other concerned Muslims gathered.
We learned that Meikhtila condition was bad and some Muslims were even evacuating in haste from the town.
All of us discussed and decided to go personally to see the Mandalay Division Government. We arranged the transport and all the Muslim leaders headed there. As our group used to serve the Muslim Organizations as General Liaison persons, we also followed them.
At 3.30 PM we reached the office of the Mandalay Division Government but the Prime Minister was not in the office.
The security guard told us that there was no one in the office. But when we insisted to see anyone, even if that person was an office security, he told us that Religious Minister U Than Soe Myint was present.
Three or four of us, including me entered the minister’s office and requested permission for Muslim leaders to see the minister regarding Meikhtila problem. The Minister allowed our meeting request and invited all of us into his small office-room. As there was no space for all, some of us had to stand in-front of the room.
Religious leaders pleaded that they were worried with the problem in Meikhtila and requested that the Government should arrest the criminals who broke the law but kindly help controlling the condition (riots).
The Ulama Chief was so worried that he could not control the tears and so he cried while pleading for the necessary help.
Then, the minister made 2-3 phone calls to different places just in-front of us and told us, “ Yes the Meikhtila problem was started by the Gold Shop and now it grew bigger (into riots) but no need to worry too much as it is now under control by the security forces.
Now the Special Police Forces (Riot Police) were heading Meikhtila. Minister of Security Colonel Aung Kyaw Moe was also on the way. (Our) government would definitely control the unruly activities. You all needed to calm down.” This was spoken at 4 PM on that day.
After that the minister smiled (jokingly) and said, “When the problem started, it was said that your side had slapped first.”
Although no one rebutted back but as I had met him at Multi-Religious functions frequently and became friends and as he was the regular reader of my book and writings, I told him, “Dear Minister, whether slap or stab, you need to take action according to the law. Is that right?”
Minister replied, “ Saya U Maung Maung, you seemed to be so excited, don’t worry, we would take action according to the Laws. We would not discriminate anyone based on Race or Religions. Now you all should cool down and relax. Prime Minister would also personally go to Meikhtila.”
All of us (went back and) continue to camp at Kasaemea School’s office to monitor the situation and progress about Meikhtila with our contacts on phones.
Only after Isha night prayers, our group divided and returned (back from the school) but still gathered in small groups to monitor the latest situation.
The bad news kept on entering and at about 1.00 AM, one Constructor Youth in our group got the phone message from a student from the Mingala Zayyone school.
The news was: “Their school was invaded by terrorists since the earlier part of the night. Computers, Rice Cookers and Washing Machines were looted and the school was burnt. Now they all were in the swarm land below the bank of Meikhtila Lake. They were hiding in the Wet Hlan Taw (human height grass-field).”
The person who got that news rerated and spread that to all of us and we all individually contacted to the various authorities we knew. We pleaded (with the authorities) that the terrorists were searching for those students and to help rescuing them.
SEE ALSO:Massacre In Central Burma:
Muslim Students Terrorizedand Killed in Meiktila
We called and asked help from Security Minister Colonel Aung Kyaw Moe as well as PM U Ye Myint.
On every-time when one or other of the students, hiding under the long grass in the muddy swamp land, kept on calling for help to one of us after another, we repeatedly relayed the messages and pleaded the authorities and at last the phone of the PM was answered by his personal assistant only.
Minister of Home Affairs, Inspector General of Police, Mandalay Division Chief Inspector of Police and other various authorities were called for help, no one was spared from our requests.
But no office barrier or authority or any administrative official helped the school-children.
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The accounts written below in the brackets were given by the survivor students and teachers from the Mingala Zayyone school and the words of U Wirathu who personally told me.
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[Once dawn, the condition became worse. The students hidden under the tall grass in the swamp land, led by the teachers, tried to cross the Meikhtila lake bank and to swim across the lake. But the terrorists constantly watched and thwart their attempts.
Those who got the phone message from Meikhtila and Yindaw and tried to risk and save the children were attacked by the terrorists.
All the people were scared that once there were sun-light, the terrorists stationed on the Meikhtila lake bank would be able to see the students below in the swamp.
At that time, one Buddhist lady who was the owner of the Poultry (Chicken) Farm nearby the swamp suddenly pried open the fence and called-in all the students to hide.
Once all the students were inside the Poultry (Chicken) Farm, sun rise and the terrorist leaders climbed up on to the bank of the lake.
By looking at the disturbed grass on the swamp land, they figured out that students were there but left the place. They searched nearby and found out that the children were hiding in the Poultry Farm.
The terrorist leaders then telephoned their followers to go there, shouted the battle-cry slogans and start attacking the Poultry Farm with all the available improvised weapons.
The students inside the Poultry Farm were worried, scared, don’t know what to do, so they shouted Takbir together, picked up the broken-bricks, broken wooden pieces etc. thrown to them and threw back as self defense.
(Note: The Takbīr (تَكْبِير) is the Arabic term for the phrase Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر). It is usually translated as "God is the greatest," or "God is great". It is a common Islamic Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims; in formal prayer, in the call for prayer (adhān), as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress, to express celebration or victory, or to express resolute determination or defiance. Ref: Wikipedia)
Attacking terrorists were stunned by the defiance of children’s resistance and shouting of the Takbīr instead of running away separately into different places with fear because of their vicious attack with great force. So the attackers were scared to enter inside and so burn the Poultry Farm.
At the time of arson attack, two Fire-engines and about 30 fully armed Policemen arrived the place but just stood and watched all the activities of the terrorists.
Authorities and officers on duties were standing on the bank of the Meikhtila lake and watched as if they were viewing the staged-play. Because they were just about 500 ft from the crime scene, they all could see clearly what was going on.
Mandalay Division Prime Minister U Ye Myint and Mandalay Division Government Security Minister Colonel Aung Kyaw Moe were on the road above the lake bank.
U Wirathu, Shwe Nya War Sayardaw, 88 Student leader Min Ko Naing and NLD MP U Win Htein, who arrived Meikhtila since 8 PM 20th March were also on that lake bank.
The condition of the students was bad because they were attacked from the front and the building at their back was burning. At that time one of the teacher shouted to the fire-brigade which just watched there without doing anything to help extinguish the fire. The students also hault the fighting back.
Someone from outside shouted back to them, “We would extinguish the fire, just stop your shoutings.” Then, one teacher ordered the children to stop the Takbir. The children were also very tired because of lack of sleep the whole night and because of the assaults suffered and also because of the heat of the burning Poultry Farm house behind.
At that time one authority from outside shouted, “We would send all of you to the police station, come out.”
So they prepared to go out. At the outside there were some authorities, police mixed together with terrorists and about 20 monks with saffron robes.
Someone from outside ordered, “The teacher amongst your group come out first.” So the headmaster prepared to go out but another teacher requested the headmaster to stay back to take care of the children and volunteered to go out first. Once that teacher was outside, he was assaulted, slashed numerously and killed immediately by the terrorists.
The heat of burning inside increased and it was difficult to go out. At that time one famous Meikhtila court-cases broker monk named “U Zin Pu” arrived and ordered loudly, “If you all did not wish to die, come out with your hands in prayer position (i.e. prostrating position: palms together, fingers flat out and pointed upward and raised to the forehead). If you come out in prostration, we won’t harm you.” When the students looked up to the headmaster’s face for permission, the headmaster nodded in approval.
When the students put their palms together on their chest as in Buddhist prostration position, that monk (U Zin Pu) shouted, “F**K your mothers. How dare you all insult us, raise the opposing hands above the head and come out!”
The students looked at the headmaster’s face again and when the headmaster nodded again helplessly, the students went out with the palms above the head in Buddhist prostration position.
The first 40 of the persons that came out were ordered to stand in rows and marched through the housing estate to the army trucks. Although police escorted them, U Zin Pu led terrorists penetrated the police escorts to assault with sticks and slash with machetes.
Those who endured the assaults and continue to walk managed to survive but those fell down or tried to run away haphazardly were slashed to death and some were burnt alive.
Surrounding police just shoot up into the air numerous times and U Zin Pu just followed from the side and even joked, “ Stop assaulting them, if they die in your housing area, it would hurt your place’s karma. If they die in your estate you would face the haunting of the Kalar (Muslim) ghosts.”
28 students and 4 teachers from Mingala Zayyone Islamic Religious School “shaheed” or died as martyrs at that spot.
At that time Shwe Nya War Sayardaw came to that place holding the Buddhist Religious flag.
Once arrived he shouted, “You all please stop! This is not the work of Buddhists” and hit the terrorists with the flag to disperse. When the terrorists even threatened to harm Shwe Nya War Sayardaw, the police had to give security by surrounding him.
In the meantime some tried to assault the students from the front, forcing police to shoot and one terrorist was wounded on the foot.
At that time only, terrorists retreated and with the help of Shwe Nya War Sayardaw, the victims were put on the army trucks and sent to the police station.
We wish to highlight one important fact that although the terrorists were claiming that they were protecting their race and religion:Bama and Buddhism, not all Bama Buddhists were terrorists.
There were some civilian Bama Buddhists who risked their lives and property to help out the Muslims like Poultry farm owner Buddhist lady and few saintly real Buddhist monks: one named “U Zin Pane” who had saved thousands of Muslims during the Meikhtila riots and Shwe Nya War Sayardaw who practically risked his life even at the killing field to practically stop the assault.
Chapter 6
The numerous clips of news arrived Mandalay and naturally when they were mixed with rumours, threatened the Mandalayans and all were scared to death. It was because we wrongly believed that as the hometown of our National Hero and Martyr Sayargyi U Razak, there could not be this kind of atrocities in Meikhtila.
Meikhtila Muslims are Burmanized and even their Arabic names were sometimes sound like Myanmar names. We wondered what kind of Hate Speeches had brainwashed the Buddhists to hate and commit that kind of atrocities or Massacre on Muslims there.
Later we heard the news that killing of a monk by Muslims in Meikhtila had worsen the situation.
It was just a lame excuse only as the riot was started since 10 AM that morning long before that monk was killed. There was a pre-planned destruction of buildings by the deliberate exaggeration of fights and even at 5 PM of that evening, attacks on Masjids were started but that monk was killed only at that late evening 6 PM just in the vicinity and in front of a Mosque.
The real story was that murdered monk, U Thawbita was from the small town called Thae Daw on the Mandalay-Meikhtila highway. He entered monkhood just 2 years ago but as an ex-drug addict, he could not get rid of his old habits and became a nuisance to local police by frequent intoxication with liquor.
On that fateful day, he was asked to follow on a Hilux car with a group of 8 Thae Daw villagers in order to destroy the Kalar Pali (meant the Muslim Masjids). Not as Wirathu wrote on the Internet, an innocent person just went to Meikhtila to buy the moral book, “Yinkyae Leinmar”.
U Wirathu even falsely claimed that the deceased monk took the sidecar (trishaw) from bus-station to bookshop but actually the road from bus-station to bookshop was another way and no need to use that road in-front of the mosque. After all Meikhtila was already damaged with riots since 10 AM that day, (and the news definitely spread to the nearby Thae Daw, no need to go to Meikhtila that evening) …and the whole town was in a state of riots…why Wirathu was writing lies (to cover-up the truth and give lame excuse to blame the victim Muslims)?]
To be continued….