Army uses their station as court in Maungdaw

KPN News: An army commanding officer in Maungdaw has started using his office like it’s a court of law. Colonel Naing Soe Htun is supposed to be keeping the peace after the sectarian

violence broke out in June and October, but he’s more concerned with lining his pocket, according to an elder who didn’t want to be named for security concerns.

Htun is summoning villagers from the Rohingya community to his office in the Maungdaw High school to extort money, confirmed a locally based rights worker that also didn’t want their name used

“He is a high ranking officer from the armed forces appointed to enforce the law and bring order between the Rohingya and Rakhine in areas with large Muslim populations. But he is using his power against the Rohingya community to extort money.”

Every day the colonel is getting 100,000 kyats from about 10 people that are forced to see him. It’s extremely difficult for the community to keep coming up with the money. Most haven’t been able to work after their freedom of movement was restricted following the violence, according to a Maungdaw teacher.

“If someone can’t fulfill his demands they will be tortured and kept in the station forced to do hard labour outside.”

This kind of abuse of power is commonly used by the army and other state authorities to extort money from the Rohingya community in Maungdaw, according to one politician. There is no rule of law and all officers using their power against the Muslims.

Comments

Amnesty International's T. Kumar to Speak at the Islamic Society of North America's Convention

Amnesty International's T. Kumar to Speak at the Islamic Society of North America's Convention Advocacy Director T. Kumar to Speak on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma) Contact: Carolyn Lang, clang@aiusa.org, 202-675-8759 /EINPresswire.com/ (Washington, D.C.) -- Amnesty International Advocacy Director T. Kumar will address the Islamic Society of North America's 49th Annual Convention "One Nation Under God: Striving for the Common Good," in regards to the minority community of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma) on Saturday, September 1, at 11:30 am at the Washington DC Convention Center.

Iran Ready to Dispatch Medical Teams to Myanmar

TEHRAN (FNA)- Head of the Basij Organization of Iran's Medical Society Mohammad Rayeeszadeh voiced the society's readiness to dispatch medics, nurses and relief and rescue forces to help Myanmar's Muslims who are under the daily attacks of the majority in the Southeast Asian country. "The Basij (volunteer) organization of the Medical Society is prepared to dispatch emergency teams of physicians, nurses and rescue workers to Myanmar," Rayeeszadeh told FNA on Saturday.

2,600 tonnes of aid delivered to Myanmar Muslims

Khalifa Foundation has distributed urgent aid totalling 5,200 tonnes Gulf News March 04, 2013 Burma: The Khalifa Bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation (KZHF) has distributed another 2,600 tonnes of food aid to Myanmar Muslims, completing its third and last phase of the urgent aid totalling 5,200 tonnes of relief items among 850,000 beneficiaries. As per directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the assistance was purchased from the local markets of Myanmar in cooperation and coordination with the Embassy of Kuwait to be shipped by sea to “Rakhine (Arakan)” for distribution among the affectees there.

The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Search This Blog