E/CN.4/1993/62 page 74 Mohammad Yonus, 50, from Miumaungkora village, Maungdaw township, reported that the mosque in his village had been destroyed by forced Muslim labour under military orders. All Muslims had been ordered to stop prayers. Mohammad Yonus was reportedly beaten on occasion for praying in a field near his home. Forced Muslim labour was used to build housing for non-Muslims in his village. Abolhashem, 20, a student of Islam from Singdaung village, Buthidaung township, reported that one day, he and four friends were walking to the market with religious books in hand after class. A group of soldiers and non-Muslim civilians who had recently moved into a new housing project reportedly stopped the youths and began to ask questions about their books. The soldiers and the civilians then pushed the students down the road to their Islamic school. The young men were released, but four teachers were taken in their place. The local mosque had been demolished earlier with forced Muslim labour and a Buddhist temple had been built in its place. A teacher who said something in Bengali at prayer time was immediatly beaten. When another teacher started praying in Arabic, the group of soldiers and civilians immediately started beating all four fiercely. They were then ordered to pray aloud to a statue of the Buddha, which they refused, and the beating continued. Finally, the soliders took the teachers to Buthidaung camp where they were detained until the next day, when the Muslim community had collected enough money to pay a ransom. Abolhashem further reported that shortly after the incident, the school was surrounded by about 30 soldiers when 500 men and boys, aged from 10 to 40, were studying inside. They tied the hands of all those present and made them walk to Fumali camp. They were subsequently forced into portering for days in the mountains, without food, water or rest. Many reportedly died from exhaustion and ill-treatment. Only about one third of the original group survived to reach the Afored Dala camp. Eventually, they were told to walk to Bangladesh, and many died on the way. The Special Rapporteur has also been informed that Mohamed Ilyas, 60, a Muslim member of parliament from Myothugyi village near Maungdaw, was reportedly beaten to death in military barracks on 19 June 1992 because he refused to go to Bangladesh to try to persuade Muslim refugees from Rakhine State to return home, after an agreement was signed by the SLORC and the Government of Bangladesh on 28 April 1992. Mr. Ilyas is said to have been arrested on 16 June together with four other parliamentarians. The soldiers are said to have returned his dead body to his family on 23 June. The four other deputies, including Fazal Ahmed, were reportedly seriously injured and are detained in a military prison. Persecution of Christians According to additional information received by the Special Rapporteur, Christians have also suffered persecution in Myanmar, especially in the area of the Irrawaddy delta. It has been alleged that villages have been bombed, churches raided and that pastors have been killed or have disappeared. At the beginning of October 1991, a number of pastors from the Bogale, Tee Tant, Ket-Thamaing and Kayin Sabyuzu villages are said to have been imprisoned. Some of them are reported to have been executed. The following pastors are reportedly known to have been executed: