, ▁My an mar ), ▁who ▁have ▁suffered ▁historical ▁per sec ution ▁by ▁the ▁Bur m ese ▁government ▁and ▁Buddh ist ▁majority . ▁After ▁General ▁Ne ▁Win ▁and ▁his ▁Bur ma ▁Social ist ▁Program me ▁Party ▁( B SP P ) ▁seized ▁power ▁in ▁a ▁coup ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁R oh ing ya ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁organis ations ▁were ▁system atically ▁dissol ved ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁The ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁liber ation ▁war ▁in ▁neighbour ing ▁Bang l adesh ▁strength ened ▁the ▁Bur m ese ▁government ' s ▁fear s ▁of ▁" fore ign ▁inv aders " ▁in fil tr ating ▁their ▁country , ▁and ▁so ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁the ▁government ▁began ▁its ▁prepar ations ▁for ▁Operation ▁Dragon ▁King , ▁which ▁comm enced ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁next ▁year . ▁ ▁Events ▁ ▁The ▁official ▁purpose ▁of ▁Operation ▁Dragon ▁King ▁was ▁to ▁register ▁citizens ▁in ▁northern ▁A rak an ▁and ▁exp el ▁so - called ▁" fore ign ers " ▁from ▁the ▁area ▁prior ▁to ▁a ▁national ▁census . ▁Im m igration ▁officials ▁and ▁military ▁personnel ▁conducted ▁the ▁operation ▁together , ▁with ▁the ▁latter ▁being ▁accused ▁by ▁R oh ing ya ▁refuge es ▁of ▁for ci b ly ▁ev ict ing ▁vill agers ▁through ▁int im id ation , ▁ra pe ▁and ▁murder . ▁ ▁The ▁operation ▁began ▁on ▁ 6 ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Sak k ip ara ▁in ▁the ▁S itt we ▁District