Tatmadaw investigation team issues statement on findings of discovery of unidentified bodies in Inndin Village cemetery in Maungtaw Township

A member of security force is under interrogation.

Nay Pyi Taw January 11

A press release has already been issued saying that acting on the information sent by an unidentified person that slain human bodies were buried in Inndin Village cemetery in Maungtaw Township, Rakhine State, a five-member investigation team led by Lt-Gen Aye Win from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) set off for the scene on 20 December 2017 to investigate whether or not security forces were involved in the case.

The team questioned witnesses—21 Tatmadawmen, three members of the border guard force, 13 members of No (8) Security Police Branch, six Inndin villagers and six civil servants—from 20 December 2017 to 2 January 2018.

According to the interrogations, Inndin Village-tract is made up of two ethnic villages namely Inndin (Rakhine) and Peyon (Na-ta-La) and three Bengali villages. The two ethnic villages have 176 houses and 840 people. The three Bengali villages have 800 houses and about 6,000 people. After the 9 October attacks in 2016, the Bengalis came to have tense relations and threaten the ethnic villagers. On 25 August 2017, Inndin villager U Maung Ni was captured and killed by some Bengali terrorists while he was going to farm. U Maung Ni’s family members had abhorred the Bengalis. Beginning 25 August, the Bengalis from Inndin Bengali village had threatened Inndin ethnic village from a distance day and night holding sticks and swords. Playing loud speakers, those Bengalis severally chanted slogans in Bengali language “We are tigers. We will eat the ethnics and Tatmadawmen. We will slit their throats and hold an Eid. We will have to own this soil and this land. We will occupy this region.” The ethnic villagers panicked and went to the Buddhist monastery of Inndin Village. At their request, security forces had to rush there in time for their security.

The security forces shouldering security duties in Inndin Village went to the seafront for security operation on 1 September. Meanwhile, they were attacked by about 200 Bengalis with sticks and swords. As the security forces opened fire into the sky, the Bengalis dispersed and ran away. Ten of them were arrested.

The security forces questioned the 10 arrestees at the village school on 1 September night. According to the accounts, they had connections with terrorists. They were said to be persuaded by Mawlawis to get involved in terrorist acts.

Although it needed to hand over 10 Bengali terrorists to the police station under the procedures, it was found that decision was made to kill them at the cemetery. It was because that as Bengali terrorists committed mine attacks and set fire to two vehicles of Inndin region police station at Thinbawgwe Village at a time when terror attacks happened one after another around the region while members of security forces were assigned in groups to carry out peace and stability of the region, so it was no situation to send 10 Bengali terrorists to the police station.

Those 10 Bengali terrorists retained at the school were taken to Peyon cemetery of Inndin Village at 8 am on 2 September. For the time being, Inndin villagers guided the route to the cemetery under escort of security forces, followed by 10 villagers including sons of U Maung Ni who was killed by Bengali terrorists, holding swords and hoes.

At Peyon cemetery, some villagers dug the pit in the ravine between two hillocks. Then, 10 Bengali terrorists were ordered to descend into the pit and two sons of U Maung Ni and one villager cut the Bengali terrorists with the use of swords. As some attacks coursed among them, four members of security forces near the pit shot them with the use of guns. It was found that local ethnics had grievance against those 10 Bengali terrorists involved in the terror attacks, against Bengali villagers who arrested and killed U Maung Ni without reason and they threatened and bullied the local ethnics. So the ethnics killed 10 arrested Bengali terrorists as they were keen to kill the arrestees with taking revenge. 

In the incident, some villagers from Inndin Village and members of security forces confessed it is true they killed 10 Bengali terrorists. As such, action will be taken against the villagers who participated in the case and the members of security forces who broke the Rules of Engagement under the law. It was found that the incident was not submitted to superior levels. So, the officials who needed to control subordinates despite no direct relation to the incident will be necessarily exposed and taken action, and information on completion of action will be released.

Tatmadaw True News Information Team

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