Deputy DG of BGP holds meeting at Maungdaw

Myanmar Vice President Nyan Tun (3rd L-standing) visits during a census taking at the village of Barasa in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine on March 30, 2014

 

By KPN News

July 06, 2014

 

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Deputy Director General (DDG)of Border Guard police (BGP) of Burma held a meeting at its headquarters, inviting religious and local elders from neighboring villages of police area No. 6 of Maungdaw north yesterday  for discussion about census, said  Moktar Ahmed, a participant of the meeting.

In the meeting, the DDG of BGP said, “Now, we are processing only population lists, not census.  In future rebellion groups will penetrate Maungdaw, so it is very important to check the population lists and also need to deduct the death lists and to register the new born babies.”

 

According to a participant of the meeting, the BGP Deputy Director General asked the participants of the meeting to organize all the villagers to participate in the population list.

 

“We will let you know after discussing with villagers,” said another participant of the meeting preferring not to be named.

 

In the meeting, the immigration officer and the police officer of BGP headquarters also participated.

Local authorities, especially BGP police and immigration officers have been trying to take census since March by using various types of methods and forcing villagers to participate in census. 

 

Villagers are willing to take part in census if the authorities allow to identify as ‘Rohingya’ in place of “Bengali” in the  census Form, said a local youth named Rafique.

 

Besides, the BGP police of BGP headquarters are collecting money from the Rohingya travelers who make trips within the Maungdaw Township while crossing the headquarter gate. They (police) collect Kyat 1,000 per head who is holding white card, mentioned as Bengali in the race. But, the White card which mentioned “Muslim” in the race are seized and said it will replace soon with “Bengali”. There are two kinds of white cards, one is written “Bengali” and another one is written “Muslim” in the Colum of race, the youth more added.