Leaving homeland for fishing sole agents’ pressure

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Rohingya fishermen are leaving their homeland for collecting more taxes by fishing sole agents in Maungdaw, said a fisherman who lost his job from Maungdaw south.

Fishermen pulling their fishing net after taking the fishes

“The fishing sole agents are collecting more taxes from Rohingya fishermen who only expert in the fishing business and haven’t able to work for their survival in Maungdaw, Arakan state, wishing to leave their homeland.”

In Maungdaw south, there are two Burma border security force (Nasaka) areas – Number 7 and 8 – controlled by two sole fishing agents who are collecting more taxes from Rohingya fishermen and they can’t able to fulfill the taxes and their survival, said a village administration office member from Nasaka area  number 8.

“The Nasaka area number 7 and 8 are full of fishing business with fishing boats and rowboats. The agents are collecting 1.2 million kyat per year from a boat which only able to work 8 months a year and 90,000 kyat per month.”

“The agents are also collecting 3000 kyats per fishing boat or rowboat for every unloading fishes from boat to land.”

Fishing boats arrived after fishing in the sea

The fishermen are not able to catch sufficient fishes to fulfill the taxes and survival and become more debt which made them jobless, landless and homeless, said a fish trader from Maungdaw.

“The situations for fishermen become to leave their home land to pay their debt, working in the neighbors’ country – Bangladesh or Malaysia.” 

“The two agents – Kyaw Saw, ex-military intelligence personnel control the Nasaka area number 7 and Than Htay for Nasaka area number 8 – took the permission from high official from Akyab. Nobody can able to reduce the taxes from fishermen by local officers or local elders.”