Arbitrary extortion money increased in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Arbitrary extortion money is being increased by Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) from Rohingya villagers in Maungdaw Township is unbearable for the villagers, a Rohingya elder from Maungdaw north on condition of anonymity. 

 “On November 6, a group of Nasaka personnel from Aung Min Gala Nasaka out-post, under the Nasaka Headquarters or Nasaka area No.6 went to Maung Nama village tract of the same Nasaka area and arrested many villagers without any accusation and asked them to pay money to be released.”

“On that day, the Nasaka arrested— Jamal (30), son of Kala Meah, Hailed from Maung Nama Gyi, Sayedullah (45), son of Abdu Salam, hailed from Mirzir Tawla village of MaungNama village tract, Ms Amina Khatun (50), wife of Jaffar, hailed from Maung Nama village, Ms Bilkis (40), wife of Lala Meah, the same village,  Abulu (60), son of Mohamed Siddique, hailed from Maung Nama village, and Abu Siddique(30), son of Habi, from  same village.”

From above arrestees, the Nasaka personnel extorted at least Kyat 2 million. The said people were arrested because of their relatives live in abroad. The Nasaka got these lists through their village collaborators, said a Nasaka’s ex-collaborator.

Of them, Abu Siddique is a small shopkeeper who has a small shop nearby village on the road side. His shop was looted by these Nasaka personnel and took away goods and cash about Tk 10,000.

Besides, the Maung Nama village tract has six sentry posts; and each sentry has five villagers who were giving sentry duty. However, the Nasaka arrested all 30 sentry men over the allegation that they were sleeping when the Nasaka personnel approached the sentry post. 

They were tortured illegally and extorted Kyat 5,000 to 6,000 per each and were released. They are very poor people in the village who gave sentry duty. In fact, the sentry men were not sleeping. The Nasaka personnel were deliberately doing this to extort money, said one the sentry men who prefer not to be named.

It is learnt that the former Nasaka Commander of Aung Mingala was transferred to another camp recently and a new Commander was appointed to this camp. The former commander arbitrarily extorted money from villagers before his transfer.

“The Rohingya community becomes for their (Nasaka’s) source for earning money,” said a local teacher who denied to be named.