While the Muslims have regretted reports of Indian support to the junta, they have used stronger words against China, which they have described as "the military dictatorship's main backer" and warned it that it would be held accountable before the international community if there is a repetition of the 1988bloodbath in Myanmar. The ARNO has been collecting signatures on a petition to be jointly addressed to the President of the UN Security Council and President Hu Jintao of China. The petition inter alia says as follows: "We stand alongside the citizens of Burma in their peaceful protests. We urge you to oppose a violent crackdown on the demonstrators, and to support genuine reconciliation and democracy in Burma. We pledge to hold you accountable for any further bloodshed."
Reports received so far indicate that the junta has avoided using military force against the protesters in the Arakan area. Nor have they imposed a curfew. Rohingya Muslim sources in the Arakan area have reported that there were two demonstrations on September 27,2007. In the first at Akyab (Sittwe), the capital of thestate, about 200 monks and others participated. In the second at Taungup, about 10,000 people participated. The Army did not interfere with the demonstrations. No report on the local situation on September 28,2007, is available since the Army has cut off all communications between the Arakanstate and the rest of Myanmar as well as the rest of the world.
However, Rohingya Muslim sources based in Akyab disseminated on September 28,2007, the following report regarding the situation which prevailed during the previous twodays: