“The
Rohingya villagers were arbitrarily arrested by police and Hluntin
(riot police) after the June 8 riots between Rakhines and Rohingyas
in Maungdaw Township.”
“The
arrestees (prisoners) were produced two to three times in the court
and asked no questions from them. They have no rights to say anything
and did not make any interrogation from the witness.”
After
arrest, the people were severely tortured by police, Hluntin or
Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) in the Nasaka camp or in the
Nasaka Headquarters (Kawar Bill) or in police detention center of
Maungdaw town where many Rohingya people were dead by torture and
were buried by the authority to unknown places to be not seen by
their relatives and local public. As a result, the dwellers of
Maungdaw town do not know, so far, how many people were arrested and
killed by the authorities, said a town dweller who denied to be
named.
Earlier,
on October 12, nineteen Rohingya detainees were sentenced to 10 to 20
years jail to some villagers mostly from Maungdaw south.
But, the
accused were not allowed to borrow lawyers to give them protection
and asked any question from the defendant, said a trader from
Buthidaung town.
One
Rohingya villager from Buthidaung said, “Whether the accused is
guilty or not, this question is must be asked from the defendant.”
The
situation of the Buthidaung jail is very bad. Rohingya prisoners are
tortured inhumanly by jail police and are being fed inadequate food
in daily basis. The beard of all Maulanas (religious leaders) and
others had already been shaved. They have no clothes and medicines.
Some prisoners are staying there with naked position. There is no
medicine, said a released prisoner recently from Buthidaung jail.
It is
very important to visit International Red Crescent (IRC) to observe
the situation as relatives are not allowed to see their sons,
brothers, fathers and husbands. Many prisoners died in the jail and
did not inform to their relatives, said a businessman from Bthidaung
whose relative was also arrested by police.
In
similar way, the prisoners of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State
have been facing many difficulties.
Source KPN
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