Hsaung Zar Chi

Narinjara News, 14 May 2020

Over the course of two days, explosions in Buthitaung and Kyauktaw Townships have killed two Muslim children and injured six civilians.

In Buthitauing, two children died after stepping on a mine while walking from Thayet Pyin (Muslim) village to the now deserted Thayet Pyin (Rakhine) village, according to Hpon Nyo Leik village administrator, U Maung Than Hlaing. The explosion occurred on May 12 at around 11am.

The two dead children have been named as Marehenar Beygaung, aged 8, and Maung Ahdullamen, aged 12.   Both lived in Thayet Pyin (Muslim).  A third child, Masardara Bibi aged 13, was injured in the explosion. She is from Hpon Nyo Leik (Muslim) village.

“Our village is split into the northern and southern parts, one being Muslim, the other Rakhine. The children were all Muslim. The two that died and one that was injured had gone to the Rakhine part of the village to pick vegetables when they detonated a mine. Hpon Nyo Leik is really close to where the explosion happened.  We heard the sound of the explosion, this enormous boom”, U Maung Than Hlaing said.

Doctor Saw Min Thien from Buthitaung Hospital spoke with Narinjara and explained that the injured girl had been seriously injured in the neck. They were unable to carry out the surgery required in Buthitaung so this morning she had been transferred to Maungtaw District Hospital.

The second incident involved a shell exploding in Paik They (Muslim) village, injuring five civilians.  The shelling occurred just after an explosion near Gisspanadi bridge, Kyauktaw Town on May 11, at around 3pm.

The injured have been named as U Hla Maung Thar (55), U Addamar Lawdi (37), Manarajnaw (17), Ma Tawyubar (17) and Maung Maung Soe (17).

One person who wanted to remain anonymous explained what had happened. “Not long after the first explosion, a shell fell into the village. The three people who suffered minor injuries in the explosion are being treated in the village clinic. One shell landed in the cemetery.  Its of medium size, its got fins. I don’t know what kind it is though.  The villagers are afraid and don’t dare go near it”.

Yesterday evening, U Hla Maung Thar and U Addamar Lawdi who were seriously injured in the explosion were transferred from Ah Pauk Wa Clinic, Kyauktaw to Sittwe Hospital.