By Mohammed Rafique, The Rohingya Post

On Wednesday, a Rohingya man was seriously injured in Myanmar Military’s gunshot in Kyauktaw, Rakhine State, Myanmar.

Zakir Ahmed and Siraz Uddin were fishing on the bank of Kaladan River with their small engineless boat at around 12:30 pm local time on June 10.

Myanmar Security Forces stationed along the river fired shots directly at the boat approximately at 1:00 pm.

33-year-old Zakir was hit in his knee. The forces continued to fire shots at the boat. Siraz, 15, jumped into the river and pulled Zakir to the shore.

Zakir was taken to his house in Ah Pauk Wa village and later sent to a local clinic where he received treatments for minor wounds on his head while awaiting for a referral to Sittwe General Hospital to remove and treat serious bullet injuries sustained on the knees.

He is being sent back home to spend the night before the clinic dictates the referral letter for tomorrow.

According to a local Rohingya villager, Zakir has three young daughters and he lives as a fisherman to feed the family. He was released from a jail in May 2019 after being arrested for travelling outside Kyauktaw Township in pursuit of a livelihood to sustain his family.

Within the past three days, it is reported that three people from the same village were injured including Zakir Ahmed and a Rakhine villager killed by Myanmar Security Forces. Two more Rakhine are also arrested by the forces.

Villagers reported that Myanmar Armed Forces are being reinforced near Ah Pauk Wa village along Kaladan River, creating fear among Rohingya and Rakhine villagers.

Kyauktaw is one of many townships where fightings between Myanmar Military and Arakan Army led by Rakhine have been taking place.

On May 22, Myanmar submitted its first report to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which placed provisional measures on Myanmar to protect Rohingya and preserve the evidence of genocide. Myanmar makes the report “confidential” while there is continuous violence and human rights abuses against the remaining Rohingya in Rakhine state.