Kyat 72, 000 only for marriage permission

Buthidaung, Arakan State: Rohingyas, in Maungdaw district - Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships- have to spend Kyat 72,000 for only getting marriage permission from Burma border security force (Nasaka) after the new government of President Thein Sein, said a local leader on condition of anonymity.  

“At first, the bride and the bridegroom have to go to the local Nasaka camp to get “Form” of marriage application where they have to pay Kyat 2,000.”

“Taking the application ‘Form’ from the Nasaka camp, they ( couple) have to go again to the local administration officer, formerly called Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) Chairman to take signature which certifies that the applicants are the native of the village where they have to pay Kyat 5,000.”

After acquiring the signature of the local administrator or Chairman, the couple has to go again to the local Nasaka camp where the couple has to give an agreement to the Nasaka officer. In the agreement, they have to agree the following points. These are: don’t take more than two children, don’t divorce each other, the bridegroom should be clean shaved, if divorced each other, they will be able to get married three years later, said a newly married couple from Maungdaw.

“The next day, the couple will get photos from the local Nasaka camp. They have to submit marriage application “Form” (one pair) with photos to the Nasaka Headquarters (Kawar Bill or Kyikan Pyin) of Maungdaw Township. After checking, the “Form” by the Director of Nasaka, the “Form” will be sent again to the local Nasaka camp. This process will take time at least three to six months.”

After along time, the couple was summoned to the local Nasaka camp again to receive marriage permission where they have to pay Kyat 60,000 for the Lt Col Aung Gyi, the Nasaka director of Kawar Bill of Maungdaw Township, said a schoolteacher from the locality who preferred not to be named.

However, the new government has legalized by saying that population growing rate is very high in Rohingya community, so the government is compelled to control the growing rate. But, the actual policy of the government is quite difference. It wants to depopulate the Rohingya and to extort money from Rohingyas after imposing marriage restriction policy.

As a result, the sons and daughters of poor parents are not able to bear the expense of marriage so that there can be many unmarried girls. Hence, the parents of the girls are upset for the future of their daughters, said one of the parents from Buthidaung.

According to an un-reliable source, there are about 70,000 women in northern Arakan living without their husbands who were going to abroad or jails or died in the sea while going to Malaysia or Thailrand.

The source also said that there is 9-Nasaka area in Maundaw district including Maundaw and Buthidaung Townships, but the administration of each area is some differences to another one. It only depends on Nasaka commander. Some Nasaka area commanders demand Kyat 150,000 from couple for marriage permission.