Friday 11 November 2011

Nasaka commander’s harassment at Taungbru sub-town

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Nasaka commander of Nasaka area No.3, of Maungdaw Township has been harassing the local Rohingya people and extorting money over giving false and fabricated cases, said a trader from the locality on condition of anonymity.

“The Nasaka commander was recently coming from Rangoon, and he was appointed as a commander of Nasaka area No.3 at Taungbru sub-town. He himself accompanied by other Nasaka personnel from the camp went to the local village at mid night while the villagers were sound sleeping and arrested the local villagers over many kinds of allegation such as--- holding mobile sets, connection with relatives in abroad, renovating of porches or homes, illegally border crossing and human trafficking--- etc. So far, except him, no Nasaka Commander went for operation to the village at night.”

“After going to the villages, he seized the family lists of some villagers which he wanted. But, the commander has lists which were provided by their agents in advance. Then the commander asked the villagers to go to their camp the next day to take their family lists.”

“When the villagers went to the Nasaka camp, they returned the family lists to the villagers who are able to pay money. The Nasaka commander had already filed cases against the villagers and has to pay money according to their cases. So the Nasaka forced the villager to pay Taka 10,000 or 20, 000 or 50,000, or 100,000 according to the volume of the case and returned the family lists. In this way, the Nasaka commander is collecting money from the villagers indiscriminately. It is very strange that they extorted Bangala currency instead of Kyat.”

For instance, the Nasaka commander extorted Taka 50,000 from Kunsipyin Madrasa on November 2, over the allegation that it has mobile set, Taka 20,000 from Ms Nur Seban over allegation of holding mobile, Taka 100,000 from Mv. Azad Ali over allegation of holding mobile, Taka 50,000 from Shofi Ullah over the allegation that a person was absent from the list. The person went to other village to visit his relative with permission. These all victims belong to Kunsipyin village tract under Nasaka area No.3, said local school teacher who denied to be named. 

“Besides, Anwar Islam, son of Ahamadu, very poor man was still detained in the Nasaka camp, hailed from Kunsipyin Village tract, and has no possibility for holding a mobile set. He was arrested 17 days ago.”

“Another man named Mv. Mohamed Tayub from said village tract was arrested by Nasaka four days ago for not giving one Bira (80 pcs) of betel leaf. One Bira betel leaf is cost at Kyat 400. He is still in detention at the Nasaka camp.”

They went to villages at about 12:00 mid night and continued their work till 4:30 am. The surrounded the whole village for controlling the villagers from going out / coming to village.  They collected Kyat 10,000 from a man who is absent from the house. Actually, he/she went to other village with the permission to pay a visit to his/her relatives. It is a kind of inhuman harassment when the whole villagers are sleeping and the women are being frightened for seeing the soldiers at night at their homes, said a businessman.  

The extortion is going under supervise of the area commander and the Military intelligence officer where no one left within the process and half of their (villagers) earning is going to the concerned authorities’ account, said a local elder who denied to be named.

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Maung daw, Arakan state, Myanmar (Burma)
I am an independent man who voted to humanitarian aid.