Dead bodies floating in the Naf River

Maungdaw, Arakan State: More than ten dead bodies are floating in the Naf River since February 7 along the Burma side near the Myinthlut village tract under Burma border security force (Nasaka) area number 8, said a village administration office member from Myinthlut village.

“The dead bodies floating in the Naf River are not allowed to collect and bury by their relatives and villagers. The order was given by the commander of Nasaka area number 8.”

“The dead bodies are hopefully belonging to Malaysia bound voyagers who left four days ago from Nasaka area number 8 with the cooperation of Nasaka where the Nasaka collected 50,000 kyats per head. The Malaysia voyage’s boat may capsize in the Bay of Bengal. But no one confirm it.”

The Nasaka personnel and the commander are denying collecting and burying of the dead bodies from river as fear of exposing their involvement in the boatpeople trafficking, said a school teacher from the village.

“The Nasaka also ordered the villagers to push the dead bodies to the river if any dead body reaches the shore.”

The Nasaka personnel want to destroy the dead bodies, but they afraid of investigation by Human Trafficking department which occurred last November 23, 2011 where more than 138 were missing while a Malaysia voyage’s boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal where the dead bodies were drowned in the sea by the Nasaka personnel after fastening heavy stone with dead bodies for destroying the evidences of the event, said an aide from Naska camp.

The voyage to Malaysia from Bangladesh and Burma is a risky route where some boatpeople were died on the way with risky boat which sank in the sea, some were arrested by Thailand and Burma, but voyagers from Burma and Bangladesh are still not stopped to go that risky route.

The Rohingya community in northern Arakan is facing same as before such as discriminations - restriction of movement, marriage, education, health, employment and etc.-.  Though there is some reforms appear to be marked in the Burma, the repression and oppression of the Rohingya community are not stopped, said a trader from Maungdaw.

The Nasaka is using the policy of “killing two birds in one shot” means the Nasaka is trying to reduce the population of Rohingya community from Arakan soil and earning money by giving permission to go abroad. But, there is no permission for Rohingya community to enter their homeland again.