Maungdaw, Arakan State: A Maulana (religious leader) was arrested by Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) on April 15, while he was crossing the Ywet Nyo Daung bridge of Maungdaw north, over the allegation that he was a smuggler, said a close friend of the victim.
On that day, in the evening, he went to Kyet Yoe Pyin market after crossing the said village which is situated nearby Nasaka camp No.12. At that time, the Nasaka personnel from the camp halted him from going to market and accused him that he was a smuggler. So he was detained in the camp, said a local businessman.
Though the arrestee frequently asked the Nasaka personnel that he is not a smuggler and he is a religious teacher of an Arabic school. But Nasaka did not take any attention to the arrestee.
“It is deliberate action against the Rohingya religious teacher. They know very well that he is not a smuggler, but they want money and to insult religious leader,” said a local youth.
However, on 16 April, he was released after paying Kyat 400,000 to the Nasaka officer, a close relative of the victim said preferring not to be named.
“This is not small money. After selling his mother’s ornament, his relatives managed this money,” said the relative.
The Nasaka personnel of Ywet Nyo Daung Nasaka camp give harassment to the Rohingya travelers from neighboring villagers while crossing the said bridge. They sometimes loot the goods from the passengers, a village elder said.
President Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government is changing some matters in central Burma, but not change anything in the ethnic areas, especially in Rohingya and Kachin areas, said a politician from Maungdaw.
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