Nasaka arrests, extorts money from Rohingya

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) arrested two Rohingya women and extorted Kyat 300.000 for release on April 30, in Maungdaw north, Arakan State, Burma, said a close relative from the locality on condition of anonymity.

“The Camp-in-Charge U Myo Than and three Nasaka personnel from Aung Mingala Nasaka camp of Maungdaw township accompanied by local village administration officer Dil Mohamed went to the house of Ms Lalu (alias) Ms Nurkis ( 45) of Maung Nama village of Maungdaw Township where the Nasaka arrested her with her nephew Ms Noor Banu (20), on April 30 at mid-night.”

“The Nasaka accused with allegation of not informing the concerned authority about visiting gust at her resident.”

“We had informed about Ms. Noor Banu’s visiting with her white card –issue by government to Rohingya community instate of pink card for Burmese citizen - to the village administration office, but the Nasaka asked for travel pass from village which is only 2 miles from the said village – Naribill  and Maung Nama village,”

There is no need to obtain travel pass from village as Nasaka Director Col. Aung Gyi passed an order of new travel policy- can travel without village travel pass within township, but need Identification Card (white card) - for Rohingya community while he met with  Rohingya leader on April 21, said a schoolteacher from the locality. “The accusation is only to extort money from Ms.Nurkis as her husband – Zawlil Ahmed - is working in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“Nasaka and village chairman targeted the women whose husbands are in foreign countries. If the women are threatened by any means by giving any allegation, they (Nasaka) will get money from them.”

“The intention of the Nasaka and village administration officer is to extort money from them and to insult them if they get opportunity and wants to flee them from the motherland, said a village elder who denied to be named.

“Earlier, the Nasaka also committed such kinds of crimes, but the local concerned officers did not take any action against the culprits, so that these kinds of crimes can be increased in future and the Muslim Rohingya will become more and more victims and at last they will flee from Arakan to neighboring countries with unbearable persecutions.” 

“These kinds of occurrences make local Rohingya people demoralized and push them into poverty line. Rohingya people have to sell their property such as ---lands, gold ornaments and cattle--- with throwing price to fulfill the authority’s demand.”

After the new government of President Thein Sein, Rohingya people believe that arbitrary harassments against the Rohingya community by police, Nasaka and army will be decreased, but, increases day by day, said a local woman who preferred not to be named.

When connected the village administration officer, Dil Mohamed, the agent of Nasaka and U  Myo Than , the Nasaka officer, but no response.

Human trafficking control office extorts money in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Human trafficking control office has been going to extort money from Rohingya families whose beloved person is living in the foreign countries, said an officer from village administration office of Maungdaw.

“Police Inspector U Aung Saw, the head of the Human trafficking control office is always visiting the Rohingya villages where he forced the village administration officer to share the information about the families whose beloved person is living in the foreign countries to serve their family from those countries.”

“The human trafficking control officer  seized the family list of those beloved one live in the foreign countries with help of village administration officer and summoned the family head to his office situated in Myoma Kyayoungdan village of Maungdaw. “

The officer extorted money from those whose Rohingya families when he returned the family list. He demanded 100000 - 300000 kyats per family, said a school teacher whose son was living in Malaysia. “Sometime, he extorted  huge money from family when he know that family are rich.’

“The officer has no right to seize the family list and rights to inform to the concerned authority –Immigration- to follow the case which will file in the Human trafficking control office.”

The officers is only looking how to extort money from Rohingya community like other authority – Burma border security force (Nasaka), Police, Immigration and Military Intelligent- and he never informed to the concerned security force - Nasaka- about following trafficking case in the area, said an officer from Maungdaw.

“In Maungdaw, not Rohingya are going to foreign countries but Rakhine community also going to foreign countries. The officer only asked the Rohingy community not Rakhine community.”

“The officer has to follow the case to control trafficking and how the Rohingya left from tight security area of Maungdaw  by boat to Malaysia. The Nasaka security force is helping the Rohingya to operate the boat from Maungdaw through their agent by taking money. Why the officer is not going to ask the Nasaka area officer from where the boat people left?” said an elder from Maungdaw.