Forcibly collecting for football tournament

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burma border security force (Nasaka) with three collaborators of them forced the village administration offices to collect money from villagers for football tournament, organized by Major Than Naing, the commander of Nasaka area  7, said an ex-schoolteacher from the area.

“The football tournaments have been held in Maungdaw south - Nasaka area 7 - since November 13, after collecting money forcibly from local villagers.”

“There are 11 villages in Nasaka area No.7, and the Nasaka personnel also forced three villages from the Nasaka area No. 8 to participate in the football tournament. The Nasaka and its collaborators forced the villagers to pay 200 Kyat per person where a family must pay 2000 kyats which has 10 members.”  

Some money will be used in the tournament and most of the money will go to the pocket of Nasaka and its collaborators, said a village elder who denied to be named. “If the authority has no fund, why organized the football tournament for villagers. It is only a technique to extort money from villagers.”  

“The football tournaments are being played at Aley Than Kyaw football ground and the field is decorated by planting areca palm around the field which were also collected from the villagers.”

Villagers do not interest in the football matches as it is the dull season for the farmers; they have no vegetables or paddy to sell. The authority collected money forcibly from them, and the poor villagers are suffering, said a local trader.

A farmer said on condition of anonymity, “One of the Nasaka’s collaborators comes to me and asks money. I told him that I have no food today, where I get money to pay you.” 

The tournament is organized by Major Than Naing, the commander of area 7 with the help of its collaborators – Puto alias Aman Ullah, Ibarahim and Reduwan.