Makeshift camp committee beat a Rohingya refugee family

Ukhiya, Bangladesh: The newly appointed makeshift camp committee beat a Rohingya refugee family-wife and husband- without any reason on March 14, said Mohamed Ullah , an elder from the Kutupalong makeshift camp.

“The committee – Abu Siddique (Chairman), Rafique (Member) and Ayub (Member)- beat a refugee family –Mohamed Amin and his wife-  where the family member become seriously wounded.”

The camp committees were collecting the refugee lists in the camp as per the ordered of camp-in-charge (CIC) of UNHCR registered refugee camp of Kutupalong, but the committee members also collecting money from refugee if they listed. The committee members didn’t enlist the refugee who refused to pay the money to them, according to a refugee leader from the camp.

“Mohamed Amin, a former committee member asked the enlisting group about their behavior on the refugee and request to enlist all who are living in the camp since long. There was an argument between Amin and enlisted group (committee members).”

The committee chairmen, Abu Siddque, ordered to his committee members to beat Amin and there were a quarreled where the committee members brutally beat Amin. The wife of Amin tried to save her husband from the quarrel, but the committee members also severely beat her. The two victims become seriously wounded for beating, said Asma Begum, a female refugee from the camp.

“The camp committee members and chairman escaped from the spot when the refugee near by the event rushed to the spot.”

The camp committee informed to the CIC that the refugees were trying to beat them while they collecting enlists. The CIC sent the camp security officer to the spot and found that the committee made the problem and the officer returned back, said a religious leader from the camp.

“The committee are harassing refugee every corner to extort money from refugee with the help of CIC as the committee used huge money to get the position of camp committee.”

160 students unable to sit at matriculation examination in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: 160 students from Maungdaw High School are unable to sit at matriculation examination which started yesterday, said a teacher from Maungdaw.

“The students are not qualified to sit the examination for their less class attendance. Most of the students are Rohingya community.”

1616 students sited in Maungdaw district examination center this year, where 951 students are from Maungdaw High School.  Most of the students are Rohingya community, according to Maungdaw Education board.

Kyaw Zaw Tun, the Headmaster of Maungdaw High School had tried to promote the education of school and had taught the students with extra times in the school where he collected 1000 kyats per student per month as the school was lowest position in Arakan State last year matriculation examination, said an elder from Maungdaw.

“The headmaster had tried to promote the school education but the teachers from school were only interested in private tuitions in the home.”

“The headmaster wants to show good result in the examination, collected 700,000 kyats from some students per head, had taken responsibly that the student will pass in the examination, but another teacher, Daw Hla Hla Kyaw collected 550,000 kyats per head for all subjects who sited the examination.”

The students, who can able to pay money to teacher, will able to get education and getting fever from the teachers. These students’ fathers are – smugglers, collaborators, agents and high officers –  who are wealthy in the town  and it is the education system of Maungdaw this year, said Ano Meah, a student’s father who can’t able to pay the money for teachers

Police arrests family members instated of wanted person in Buthidaung

Buthidaung, Arakan State: Police personnel from Buthidaung arrested family members of wanted person while the police unable to arrest the wanted person in Buthidaung on March 6, said an elder from Buthidaung.

“U Ba Pyu, Sub Inspector, surveillance officer from Buthidaung police station with the help of collaborators – Hashim and Nurul - arrested Zubir with allegation of holding illegal mobile phone (Bangladeshi). But he escaped from police with handcuffs while the police were taking him to the police station.”

U Ba Pyu requested the family members of Zubir to hand over his handcuffs which Zubir had taken with him, when the family members failed to hand over the handcuffs, the police arrested Zubir’s family members – Ismil, Nurul Islam, Zuhura, Ahsha and Rehena, said a closed members of Zubir’s family.

“The Police officer U Ba Pyu demanded kyat one million each to release the family members.”

It is very surprised and unlawful, arresting the family members while police failed to arrest the wanted person, said a politician from Buthidaung.

“In northern Arakan, the authority is making the law what they want for Rohingya community,  not for other community.”

“The allegation was false and Zubir has no Bangladeshi mobile phone, the collaborators want to harass and distribute Zubir with the help of police,” said a school teacher from Buthidaung.

Forced labor still use in northern Arakan

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The authorities had been still using forced labor in northern Arakan- Maungdaw and Buthidaung – where the Rohingya people reside on March 5, said a NGOs worker who didn’t want to mention his name.

“The authorities- Burmese border security force (Nasaka) and General Engineer (GE)- are collecting  Rohingya people from the villages where the authorities  are repairing the road of Maungdaw-Kyein Chaung.”

“Every day 300 Rohingya people are working on the road without foods and wages. The Rohingya have to carry their foods from their homes to work on the road.”

Most of the Rohingya -- day laborers – are collected by the village administration officer as per the order of authorities to supply the laborers. A village has to supply more than 50 people to work on the road and it is depended on the population of village, said a village administration officer from Maungdaw.

“The authorities are not giving us any wages to pay the laborers who worked on the road. Most of the laborers are day workers and their families depend on their work. If they have to pay force labor, the families will become starving.”

Similarly, the Light Infantry Battalion(LIB) No. 552 is using forced labor to build the battalion since last two years nearby Rohingya villagers, said a village administration officer from Buthidaung Township.

“The battalion is situated eastern side of Mayu River and established on 1997.”

The army officers order the village admin to supply laborers to work at battalion. The laborers have to work – grass cutting, building road, clearing the compound of residents, carrying water from walls, working on the confiscated land and fences erecting – in the compound of battalion with their own foods. The army officers are not giving any wages to the laborers, said a school teacher from the said area.

“The laborers are from Rohingya community who work on their own cultivate fields or daily laborers. Their family members depend on their work. The Rohingya forced laborers’ families will become starving if the Rohingya people are frequently working in the army battalion.”

The Burmese new government had declared that no force labor in the country, but the authorities are still using forced labor in the ethnic areas and especially in the Rohingya area- northern Arakan- the forced labor is going high up now to build road, battalion and authorities compound, said a politician from Maungdaw.