Nearly two weeks passed, and then a boat with at least a dozen Myanmar soldiers approached. They kicked and bludgeoned the Rohingya men with wooden planks and iron rods, several passengers said. Tell us, do you have your Allah? one Rohingya survivor quoted the soldiers as saying. There is no Allah! They tied Mohamads hands and lit a match, laughing as the smell of burnt flesh wafted from his blistering arm. Senwara watched helplessly. The beatings finally stopped after Mohamad suspected money changed hands, and the soldiers ordered the boat to leave. The government said the Navy denied seizing any ships during that period. The ship plodded on, but it was falling apart. A sarong stuffed in a hole could not stop water from bubbling through, and Senwaras sticky rice and bits of bread were gone. When they finally floated ashore in Thailand, she had no idea where she was.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Apr 2014 18:24:38 +0000