More Army Battalions in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burmese government setup more Army Battalions in Maungdaw since the authority started the population of census in Maungdaw, Anwer, a politician from Maungdaw.

The Army Battalions setup in the areas of Maungdaw are;- Waythali  Natala village (3 miles), Myothugyi village, Myoma Kayoungdan High School compound, Myinn Hlut in Maungdaw south and Nga Kurah in Maungdaw north, the politician said.

“Each of the battalion station has 300-400 army personnel and they were well equipped.”
The Army Battalions are suddenly setup in Maungdaw and the local peoples – especially Rohingya community – become surprised and worried for more Human Rights violation in the areas, said Halim, a Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.

The Battalions setup is good for Maungdaw local peoples, but the Rohingya will suffer more while the Army move from one place to another. The villagers must be faced to supply ration for them and females will face more difficult like other areas of Burma, raped by army personnel, Halim said.

“Human Rights violations will increase more while the Army moving for their routine of their operations.”

The Battalions is not for only census process security, but also the government may keep this battalion for long till government satisfied the areas safe, Halim said.

In Maungdaw district, Army personnel from Myoma Khayoungdan  High School compound, arrested 4 – Rakhine with firearms from Ward number 4, Maungdaw on April 3 at midnight, but the Rakhine were released on April 6 without any trial, said Bulu, a Teacher from Maungdaw.

Similarly, Army personnel from border police force area number 5, arrested 6 Rakhine with firearms in Mayu Mountain range on April 6 morning, when local firewood collectors saw 25 Rakhines with arms in the mountain. But, the arrested Rakhine were released after Phurwut Change village recommend that the Rakhines are from his village who went to mountain for searching frogs, Bulu said.

The reinforcement of Army are stationed in Maungdaw is for Rohingya community, not for Rakhine who are holding arms. The Army will harass the Rohingya community with allegation of Rohingya insurgents enter into Maungdaw, Bulu more added.

On the other hand, the Army station in Nyoung Chaung village, under Buthidaung, gang raped a 40 year Rohingya female for not getting her husband when the army personnel went to his home on April 6, at midnight, said Hasu, a trader from Buthidaung.

Truck crashes a Rohingya’s cow in Maungdaw north

Maungdaw, Arakan State: A truck drove and owned by Rakhine crashed a cow owned by Rohingya on April 6, at about 4:00pm, at   Thay Chaung Village under Maungdaw north while crossing the road, said Hakim from the locality.

“The legs of the cow were broken, but the owner got life of the cow. However, the truck driver Maung Maung( Rakhine), son of Maung Chey from Powet Chaung Natala village of Maungdaw Township ran away from the scene after the incident.”

A villager from the locality who saw the accident, said. “It is a deliberate attack to the cow as there is no car and any jam or roadblock on the road to occur such accident.” 

The cow owner is Sidique Ahmed (65), son of Abdu Shukur, hailed from Thay Chaung ( Balu Khali) village under the Pawet Chaung village tract of Maungdaw Township, said a relative of the cow owner. 

Regarding the matter, the owner accompanied by some leaders from the village went to the local concerned police camp and appraised the event, but till now, there is no action against the culprit, the relative more added.

Rakhine local people or authorities always want to disturb to Rohingya community to flee Arakan, said a local farmer on condition of anonymity. 

Rakhine community wants to create problems, apparently relation to anger over the census methodology. The Rakhines and the government oppose to call and identify themselves as “Rohingya“ to Muslim group who are living in the areas and refer them as “Bengalis” which mean the Muslim group are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, said a Rohingya politician from Maungdaw.

Enumerators or census collectors went to some households in Maungdaw Township, but they did not register any household that identified as Rohingyas, he added.

A villager said, “On April 2, some census officials came to our village, we, the community leaders told them, if you don’t allow us to fill in Rohingya, we will not join the census, which mean we are boycotted the census process.  But, they did not allow us to fill Rohingya in the race column.”

Many Rakhines fear, Government’s recognition of the Rohingya population would precede an eventual shift in Arakan State’s demographics that would threaten, said a businessman from Buthidaung