Mohammed Soye, 33, who comes from Buthidaung town in Rakhine State, Myanmar, which he fled 10 days ago says, ‘Humans are all the same, religions does not make us different … we are all human and all born equal.’
Narrating his ordeal he says ‘I was a farmer in Buthidaung township, just like every other Rohingya there. We did not have the right to work or the right to education so we could not get jobs in the police, military or other smart offices. We had to work on the farms, or collect bamboo from the forest.’
Al-Jazeera has quoted his harrowing tale in his own words as thus ‘Two weeks ago, the military and the local Buddhist community came into our village, started shooting at us and setting our houses on fire, one by one. My brother was shot in the side of his face and died there. The rest of us had to run, otherwise, we would have been killed as well.’
Mohammed entered into Bangladesh after 10 days of continuous walking. He had to carry his 80 year old mother, the whole way, as she is paralysed and suffers from asthma. During their journey they crossed three rivers by boat and slept in the forest amidst wild animals.
Mohammed expressed his disappointment saying that no one is pressurizing the Myanmar government to stop the violence being committed against us even after watching images of the Rohingya crisis. He further lamented that even the international governments aren’t putting pressure on it.
In his message to the world he states ‘humans are all the same, religions do not make us different. Buddhists have flesh and blood, just like we do. So if they live peacefully and freely in Myanmar, why can’t we – we are all human and all born equal.’
It must be noted that over 270,000, mainly women and children, have fled to Bangladesh in the last two weeks as a result of indiscriminate violence against Rohingya Muslims carried out by the Myanmar army.