Resettles over 130-Buddhist from Bangladesh

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burmese government – Maungdaw district administration office and Township administration office - has resettled over 130 Buddhist from neighboring Bangladesh, are being resettled in Maungdaw Township, Arakan State recently, according to a local villager who denied to be named.

“Local authorities had welcomed 133-member of 44- family of Buddhist people - Rakhine, Maramagyi (Baroa) - hailed from Bandarban district of Bangladesh.  They are from Mosoni Para and Aye Maung Para of Bandarban, Bangladesh.”
The new comers were organized by some Rakhines from Arakan State to go to Arakan State luring them will  get many facilities in Arakan from government and local Rakhine community. The new comers are poor people, said another local villager. 
On 2nd January, 25-family and on 29th January 19-family crossed the Bangladesh- Burma border through Lemosari point (land border), said the villager quoting the new comers.
Of them 12 families were resettled at Zeadi Pyin village of Lone Done Village tract of Maungdaw north and the rest were also resettled in other Natala or Model villages, said a trader from Lone Don Village. 
State government provides them homes and two acres of farmland to each household which were confiscated earlier from Rohingya villagers for Natala villagers. They would be provided cows and rickshaws in future, the trader more added.
Newcomers were first being sheltered at a Buddhist monastery in Maungdaw town, where they received assistance from government before being transferred to the Natala villages of Maungdaw north.
On January 28, many Sayadaw (Buddhist monks) of Maungdaw Town went to Lone Done village tract to encourage them. In future, more Bangladeshi Rakhine, Baroa and Thet will go to Arakan from Bangladesh, said a Rohingya leader Maungdaw Town.
Local Rohingya villagers fear that there will be more harassment by the security forces regarding the new settlers. The authority will also seize many lands from Rohingya villagers to provide them.

Police arrest two villagers in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Two Rohingya villagers were arrested and extorted by police recently over the allegation that they were involved in the violence occurred in June last year between Rohingya and Rakhine communities, said a close friend  of the victims on condition of anonymity.  
“The arrested were identified as Basa Meah (35), son of Fazal Rahman and Kala Meah( 26), son of Noor Mohamed. Both of them belong to Kilaidaung village of Maungdaw east.”
The first one was arrested by police on January 30, and the second man was on January 31 by police of Maungdaw police station, the friend added.
However, on January 30, in the evening, Basa Meah was released after taking Kyat 400,000 and two big cocks that cost at Kyat 15,000, said a relative of Basa Meah.
In similar way, Kala Meah was also released today in the morning, after taking Kyat 600,000.  Earlier, two months ago, his father was also arrested by police in the same allegation and was released after paying Kyat 700,000, said a relative of Kala Meah.
“If anyone is involved in any crimes, he will be arrested and inquired before giving punishment. Without any justification or inquiry, taking money and release means, a kind of discrimination and pushing them into poverty,” said a business man from the locality.
Though the violence between Rakhine and Rohingya was happened on June 8 last year, many Rohingya villagers—including youths even boys over 10-year, knowledgeable villagers, rich man were arrested while many villagers were killed by security forces accompanied by some racist Rakhine mobs and some were sent to jail where they have been tortured inhumanly. But, the concerned authorities are arresting Rohingya villagers regarding the riot, so far, said a political leader from Maungdaw Town. 
Not a single person of Rakhine community was arrested regarding the violence. So, this makes them encourage doing more attacks against the Rohingya community.  The government declared that security forces are being deployed in northern Arakan to control the violence between two communities.  The situation is eased overtly across the northern Arakan , but, covertly, the harassment against the Rohingya community is still going on, the leader more added.
Though the violence has been passed nearly eight months, the harassments of the security forces such as ---police, Nasaka (Burma’s border security force), army and Sarapa (Military Intelligence) --- have not been stopped against the Rohingya community, a trader from Maungdaw south said.
“After capricious arrest and torture, extorting money from villagers is a very solemn for the Rohingya community as they have no money and jobs while they have been kept in their villages,” said a villager elder who did not mention his name for security reason.