- Title: Rohingya rebel leader challenges Myanmar's Suu Kyi, vows to fight on
- Date: 31st March 2017
- Summary: YANGON, MYANMAR (MARCH 31, 2017) (REUTERS) JOURNALIST USING COMPUTER IMAGES OF COMMANDER OF ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION, ATA ULLAH, ON COMPUTER ATAH ULLAH ON COMPUTER SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Rohingya) COMMANDER OF ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION, ATA ULLAH, SAYING: "To live such a life, we can't live like this anymore, so I will let you know that this is not our life, that we must stand up for our rights and we must to make it. We are like slaves now, so we need to get our rights back by fighting." ATA ULLAH ON SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Rohingya) COMMANDER OF ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION, ATA ULLAH, SAYING: "This is what we took from them, this is what we took from the Myanmar military on October 9. with this we fight them. And we had no guns to fight back, helicopters, at that time and so we ran away." ATA ULLAH ON SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Rohingya) COMMANDER OF ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION, ATA ULLAH, SAYING: "They lie every time to the whole world. It's a cruel military government, the whole world knows this. So don't listen to them. Please stand with us and give us our rights. We will put down our arms and we will not fight with them if we get our rights. If they don't give us our rights and thousands of us need to die, we are ready to die." ATA ULLAH ON SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Rohingya) COMMANDER OF ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION, ATA ULLAH, SAYING: "Now, Aung San Suu Kyi, she got the Nobel Prize, but people are in such trouble, the military was cruel to a lot to the Rohingya community, she should say, do something for these people as a Nobel Prize winner.†ATA ULLAH ON SCREEN
- Embargoed: 14th April 2017 18:41
- Keywords: Myanmar Rohingya Muslim interview Ata Ullah
- Location: YANGON AND NORTHERN RAKHINE, MYANMAR
- City: YANGON AND NORTHERN RAKHINE, MYANMAR
- Country: Myanmar
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0026AAHX6T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The leader of a Rohingya Muslim insurgency against Myanmar's security forces said on Friday (March 31) his group would keep fighting unless the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, took action to protect the religious minority.
Attacks on Myanmar border guard posts in October last year by a previously unknown insurgent group ignited the biggest crisis of Suu Kyi's year in power, with more than 75,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh in the ensuing army crackdown.
In his first independently conducted media interview, Ata Ullah, who has been identified by analysts and local people as the group's leader, denied links to foreign Islamists and said it was focused on the rights of the Rohingya, who say they face persecution at the hands of Myanmar's Buddhist majority.
"If they don't give us our rights and thousands of us need to die, we are ready to die," he said, speaking via a video call from an undisclosed location.
A United Nations report issued last month said Myanmar's security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes against Rohingya during their campaign against the insurgents, which may amount to crimes against humanity.
The military has denied the accusations, saying it was engaged in a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.
More than a million Rohingya live in northwestern Myanmar's Rakhine State, where they are denied citizenship, freedom of movement and access to services such as healthcare. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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