Rohingyas sentenced to jail in Buthidaung

Buthidaung, Arakan State: The Judge court of Buthidaung sentenced to some Rohingyas from Buthidaung jail to 10-year imprisonment per each on October 29, who had been arrested by security forces after the June riots, said a relative of the victim on condition of anonymity.
“The Rohingya villagers were arbitrarily arrested by police and Hluntin (riot police) after the June 8 riots between Rakhines and Rohingyas in Maungdaw Township.”

“The arrestees (prisoners) were produced two to three times in the court and asked no questions from them. They have no rights to say anything and did not make any interrogation from the witness.”
After arrest, the people were severely tortured by police, Hluntin or Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) in the Nasaka camp or in the Nasaka Headquarters (Kawar Bill) or in police detention center of Maungdaw town where many Rohingya people were dead by torture and were buried by the authority to unknown places to be not seen by their relatives and local public.  As a result, the dwellers of Maungdaw town do not know, so far, how many people were arrested and killed by the authorities, said a town dweller who denied to be named.
Earlier, on October 12, nineteen Rohingya detainees were sentenced to 10 to 20 years jail to some villagers mostly from Maungdaw south.
But, the accused were not allowed to borrow lawyers to give them protection and asked any question from the defendant, said a trader from Buthidaung town.
One Rohingya villager from Buthidaung said, “Whether the accused is guilty or not, this question is must be asked from the defendant.”
The situation of the Buthidaung jail is very bad. Rohingya prisoners are tortured inhumanly by jail police and are being fed inadequate food in daily basis. The beard of all Maulanas (religious leaders) and others had already been shaved. They have no clothes and medicines. Some prisoners are staying there with naked position. There is no medicine, said a released prisoner recently from Buthidaung jail.
It is very important to visit International Red Crescent (IRC) to observe the situation as relatives are not allowed to see their sons, brothers, fathers and husbands. Many prisoners died in the jail and did not inform to their relatives, said a businessman from Bthidaung whose relative was also arrested by police.
In similar way, the prisoners of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State have been facing many difficulties.