Photo: Natala village, Maungdaw
Maungdaw, Arakan State: A group of Natala villagers from Udaung, Maungdaw south are looting the crop fields – chili and potato- recently while the owners of crops were not available, said a villager on condition of anonymity. Some owners of crop fields are identified as Kobir Ahamed (60), son of Oli San, Sayed Akbar (50), son of Abdu Rahaman (50) and Sayedullah (35), hailed from Udaung village under the Nasaka area No.8 of Maungdaw south.
According to sources, mostly Rohingya farmers worked hard for the crops in the winter season, spending more money to stock chili and potato for their survival in the next raining season and summer.
“My family is poor and will face shortage of chili in future because my chili crop feild was looted by a group of Natala villagers on March 24,” said one of the victim. ”Many chili crops fields are being looted by Natala villagers.”
Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) and Natala villagers frequently loot and harass the Rohingya community, but the harassment is not being halted by the quasi-government, said Abul Hashim, an elder from Aley Than Kyaw.
“Here is no security for Rohingyas’ goods and lives. We are made like football, kicking by the government and Rakhines. We have been living in Arakan State since long, but government denied the right of our citizenship of Burma. ”