Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burma’s border security
force (Nasaka) ordered to the local Village Administration officers to collect
fund from Rohingya villages for upcoming Buddhist water-festival in April
in Maungdaw Township on April 6, according to one of the village Administrators
who preferred not to be named, “The Village Administration officer of Maung Nama village
tract of Maungdaw Township was ordered by the Nasaka Headquarters of Kawar Bill
(Kyigan Pyin) to collect money from Maung Nama Village tract for the upcoming
Buddhist water-festival in April ( Burmese New year).”
Maung Nama village
tract has three Villages—- Maung Nama Gyi, Maung Nama Ngay and Maung Nama Aley
(middle). The tree villages have to pay Kyat 450,000 to the Nasaka
Headquarters. The water-festival will fall on April 13 to 16, according
to Buddhist calendar. The Nasaka also threatened to the Villagers that
who does not comply with the order, he/she will be punished according to the
law, said a local trader who
denied to be named.
As
a result, one village has to pay Kyat 150,000 to the Nasaka Headquarters before
coming water-festival, the trade more added.
This money will use
for the Aung Min Gala Natala
village, which is established nearby Nasaka Headquarters. The villagers of
Natala village have to borrow taxis and motor bikes to celebrate the
water-festival.
The
Natala village is mixed of Rakhines from Akyab (Sittwe), from Maungdaw rural
areas and Rakhines from Bangladesh. There is a Nasaka camp nearby Aung Min Gala
Natala village, and the Commander of the camp had married one Rakhine girl of
this Natala village. So, the Natala villagers are powerful to do anything
against the Rohingya villagers, said a local businessman.
It is not necessary
to collect money from the Rohingya villagers to celebrate Buddhist water-festival;
it is a deliberate action against the Rohingya community. The Nasaka is trying
to collect the money while the Rohingya villagers are facing financial crisis
due to movement restriction and also they have no jobs and
money to provide to the Nasaka, said a village elder Karim, (it is
not real name) from the locality.
Source KPN:
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