Nasaka and police chase villagers to arrest in Maungdaw

Kaladan Press:

May 8, 2013

Maungdaw, Arakan State: A group of Nasaka and police have been trying to arrest Rohingya villagers of Hatipara (village) and Zedi Pyin villages of Maungdaw Township on May 6, over the allegation that terrorist group from Bangladesh entered the Maungdaw north, a school teacher from the locality said preferring not to be named.

“On that day, at around 6:00 am, a group of Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) numbering in 10, from Nasaka area No.5 led by Major Than Htite Aung and a group of police from Bawli Bazar of Maungdaw north went to the said villages of Hati Para and Zedi Pyin villages of Lone Don village tract under Nasaka area No.5 and surrounded the villages. After that, the security forces tried to arrest villagers over the accusation that a terrorist group from Bangladesh penetrated to Maungdaw Township.”

As a result, all the male villagers fled to nearby Mountain to avoid arrest, by Nasaka or police, said a local youth.

However, two villagers namely Zahid Alam (35), son of Abdu Shukur, a shopkeeper and  Hafez Anis Ullah (30), son of  Khobir Ahmed, a grocer were arrested by the Nasaka while they were coming to their village by riding bicycles  from Bawli Bazar market after selling their goods and vegetables, at about 6:30 pm.  They also seized Kyat 165,000 from Hafez Anis Ullah. After arrest, they were brought to the Nasaka camp where they were detained in the camp as they are unable to pay the Nasaka demand money, said a close relative of the victims.

Besides, the Nasaka officer ordered to the villagers to give list of the youths who are over 18- year old. The Nasaka and the police were also searching the houses of the said villages one by one till 6: 15 pm, the relative more added.

In Maungdaw north and south, more security forces were deployed since May 5, and asked the villagers not to go to the forest and not to go to the sea for fishing.

It is learnt that some exile media and some agents of Burmese government from Bangladesh informed to Burmese government that some terrorists from Bangladesh will entered Burma as on May 5, in Dhaka, at about 3:00 am, there were clashes  between security forces and Hefazat- Islam Party, many people died and wounded, even security forces were dead.

A village elder said, “  Since last year June, after the violence, Rohingya people have been suffering  from various kinds of persecutions and discriminations such as rape, arbitrarily arrest and extortion, movement of  restriction,  marriage restriction, land confiscation and have been closing the mosques, schools and religious schools and also villagers are being kept in their villages like “Birds cages”.

They have no access to do anything to support their family members and most of the villagers are starving now.”

At this moment, more security forces –Nasaka, police and army--- are being deployed in Maungdaw Township, and the discriminations will be increased definitely. They will harass the villagers with false and fabricated accusation using the power of President Thein Sein’s Pseudo-civilian Government, said a local businessman.