António Guterres (United Nations Secretary-General): “The situation in Myanmar is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
A once promising escape turned into a nightmare as drone strikes tore through Rohingya families huddled near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. The air, thick with anticipation of safety, was suddenly filled with the ominous hum of drones—technology repurposed as instruments of death. The border, which symbolized a gateway to hope, instead became a graveyard for the dreams of those fleeing violence.
The innocent Rohingyas in Maung Daw face relentless artillery shelling & drone attacks by Rakhine rebels (AA). Every day, lives are lost—hundreds of deaths so far. All the ppl are internally displaced & starving, while women face unspeakable horrors.Yet, the world remains silent. pic.twitter.com/8gVSJIyQqg
— Global Rohingya Future (RLO) (@grfRohingya) August 8, 2024
Families, already battered by endless suffering, found themselves in the crosshairs as drones unleashed a deadly barrage. The shoreline, once a place of whispered prayers, erupted in chaos and destruction. Amidst this horror, a heavily pregnant woman and her two-year-old daughter were among those brutally cut down, their lives extinguished in a senseless act of violence.
The scale of the carnage was overwhelming. Survivors, dazed and disoriented, wandered through a landscape marred by death. Luggage, once packed with the remnants of lives left behind, lay scattered and abandoned, silent witnesses to a future stolen. The ground was littered with the lifeless bodies of men, women, and children—testament to the savagery that had unfolded.
We must never forget the drone strike attacks inflicted upon women, children, and the elderly by AA. It is our moral duty to raise our voices in pursuit of justice for the brutal attacks on the Rohingya, who are yearning for a safe place.#SaveRohingya #Stop_Genocide_In_Arkan pic.twitter.com/YDFmNlGjYN
— Jasmin Ara (@jasminara343) August 9, 2024
In the wake of the massacre, a bitter exchange of accusations erupted. The Arakan Army and Myanmar’s military, both entrenched in conflict, hurled blame at each other, each denying responsibility. For the survivors, these denials offered no comfort, only deepening the despair as they grappled with the loss of their loved ones. The true perpetrators of this atrocity remained shrouded in the chaos of war, their identities obscured by a cloud of political rhetoric.
The aftermath was a scene of unimaginable grief. Videos circulating on social media captured the gruesome reality—bodies strewn across the mud, surrounded by the remnants of lives abruptly ended. Survivors spoke in hushed, trembling voices, their words heavy with sorrow. One man, Mohammed Eleyas, recounted the moment his world crumbled: standing on the shoreline with his pregnant wife and young daughter, he watched helplessly as the first drone struck. The deafening explosions and the sight of his family lying lifeless will haunt him forever.
The current situation in Maungdaw is dire. The Arakan Army (AA) is targeting boats trying to flee Bangladesh to escape the brutality of AA’s drone attacks. Recently, a boat carrying Rohingya sank in the Naf River due to AA drones attack, leaving no survivors. 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/NsEsquESSO
— U Mg Mg Tin (@UMgMgTin4) August 6, 2024
Another survivor, Shamsuddin, described the eerie silence that followed the attack, broken only by the anguished cries of the injured. Though he and his family narrowly escaped death, the scars of that day—both physical and emotional—are indelible. The trauma of this atrocity lingers, a constant reminder of the cruelty inflicted upon the Rohingya people.
Quotes
- Nobel Peace Laureates (Joint Statement, 2017):“The Rohingya people have been subjected to systematic persecution and grave human rights abuses by Myanmar’s military forces. The world must act now to stop this genocide.”
- Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate):“My fellow Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi should speak out against the shameful treatment of the Rohingya.”
- Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights):“The situation seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
- Pope Francis (During his visit to Myanmar, 2017):“The future of Myanmar must be peace, a peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of each member of society, respect for each ethnic group and its identity.”
- A Rohingya Refugee (Anonymous):“We are human beings. We want to be recognized as human beings. We want our rights.”
Major Points
- Drone attacks devastate Rohingya families at the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, leaving countless dead in their wake.
- Among the victims were children and a heavily pregnant woman, caught in a brutal onslaught.
- This tragic event, one of the bloodiest in Rakhine’s recent history, has sparked a blame game between warring factions.
- Survivor accounts depict a scene of utter devastation, with bodies and belongings scattered across the muddy terrain.
- Conflicting reports and political denials cloud the true extent and responsibility for the massacre.
Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
