The Voice Or Rohingya

Burmese border guard police (BGP) tortured till to dead a Rohingya from Kha Moung Zeik (Fakira Bazar) in BGP headquarters from October 3 to 5, said Halim, a Human Rights watchdog from Maungdaw.

Mohamed Farid, 35, from Kha Moung Zeik under No.2 BGP area, was arrested by BGP on October 3 with an allegation — linked with linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organization – RSO (a rebellion group)—and sent him to BGP headquarters where he tortured to confess the allegation, Halim said.

But, Farid refused to confess allegation and refused to show anyone who linked with RSO as he was a trader and not linking with RSO. So, BGP personnel tortured him day and night from October 3 t0 4, till he become serious condition and sent him to Maungdaw hospital at night where he was died on October 5, said a village admin officer who denied to be named.

BGP personnel called Farid’ wife to sign the statement which had written her husband was died with disease, not by tortured, the village admin officer said.

After seeing the dead body of Farid, his wife refused to accept her husband as the face of Farid was totally damaged to recognize him and she became unconscious after seeing her husband, said Rashid, a school teacher from Maungdaw.

The dead body was handed over to the relatives. The BGP personnel guarded the corpse till to complete-bury in the cemetery of Ward number two, Maungdaw Township, Rashid more said.

BGP arrested more than 100 Rohingyas from BGP areas number 2 and 1 since last week of September with allegation of linked with RSO. Some were sent to jail, some were under interrogation, may be died for tortured, said Rafique, a businessman from Maungdaw.

The authority are trying to ink the Rohingya as Bengali in the so-called population data collection program which the Rohingyas refused to participate in the process. So the authority started to arrest Rohingyas with allegation of linking with RSO where some died, some served in jail and some are in BGP headquarters for interrogation to show the Rohingya community and to accept the willing of Burmese government, Rafique more added.

The Voice Of Rohingya

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel produced 20 Rohingyas including four females to Maungdaw court on September 29 for remand, where the court granted seven days, according to an officer from court who denied to be named.

“Now, they are kept in four miles riot police headquarters for more interrogations.”

BGP personnel went to near Bawli Bazar villages and arrested about nearly 20 villagers including females and males for not taking part in so-called population data collection or census since September 14, said, Amin, a local trader from the local.

Some of the arrestees are identified as—Maulana Nurul Islam (65); Hafez Abul Alam (25), son of Nurul Islam; Lalu (45), son of Mozer Meah; Abu Alam (43), son of Kadir Hussain; and Ms Tahera Begum (45), wife of Mohamed  Siddique. After arrest, all the arrestees were sent to Maungdaw police station and detained there, said one of the relative of the victims, prefer not to be named..

The concerned authorities restrict the Rohingya villagers’ movement, cannot move from one place to another without showing their family lists, which were checked by immigration. The villagers, who did not participate so-called population data collection or census are barred from going to any place and give them many kinds of harassment.  Even though, they are arrested by concerned authorities, with false and fabricated accusations such as —linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organization – RSO (a rebellion group), Rashid Ahmed, a local leader said.

The arrested villagers are innocent and have no links with said groups. It is a deliberate accusation to Rohingya community to harass them only. The Rohingya live under apartheid-like conditions, Rashid more said.

Burmese officials use the term Bengali to indicate that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh even they have been living in Burma for centuries, Rashid more added.

The Voice Of Rohingya

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) extorted money from villagers in Maungdaw Township recently for not participating in so-called population data collection or census by implicating false and fabricated case against the villagers, said Amin, a local elder from the locality.  

“Some of the BGP personnel from Kawar Bill BGP Headquarters accompanied by a group of military went to Balu Khali (Thay Chaung) village of Powet Chaung village tract under Maungdaw north on September 14, in the morning, and held a meeting in a primary school inviting  local villagers to discuss about the so-called population data collection or census.”

 

When the villagers went to the primary school for meeting, the BGP and army surround the school and were arresting the villagers according to their list. The authority has a list of 41 villagers to be arrested, but, of them, they were able to arrest 16 villagers, said one of the participants in the meeting. 

 

However, later, after interrogations, the authority released 12 villagers and the rest 4 villagers were brought to their camp and then sent to Maungdaw police station after implicating them that they had linked to Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), the participant more added. 

 

The authority has no other ways and means to arrest the innocent villagers, so the authority deliberately accused them; they had connection with RSO, a rebellion group of Burmese government, said Anwer, a local leader from Maungdaw. 

 

“It is a deliberate design or strategy by the authorities to harass the Rohingya villagers because of not taking part in so-called population data collection or census”, said a political leader from Maungdaw Town who denied to be named. 

 

The arrested are identified as---- Akram (25), son of Abdul Hakim; Noor Hakim (20), son of Peran; Moulvi Jubair (28), son of Kasim; and Shuna Meah (25), son of Gura Meah. The authority arrested our youths because they want to destroy our young generation. However, on that day, they were released after taking Kyat 200,000 per head, one of the relatives of the victims said.  

 

Villagers have been facing many difficulties for only not participating in census or data collection because the authorities forced them to accept “Bengali” in placed of “Rohingya,” according to villagers. 

 

The concerned authorities also seized or taking away family lists of Rohingya villagers who were not taking participate in census and accused them they had connection with RSO. As a result, villagers are being frightened to meet with the concerned authorities to take return their family lists, said another villager named Seraz

The Voice of Rohingya

Maungdaw, Arakan State: 17 villagers were arrested by Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) in Maungdaw north, on September 20 over the allegation that they were not participated in so-called population data collection or census, said a local businessman Jalil from the local. 

“On that day, at about 9:00 am, Col. Tin Ko Ko, the Director of the BGP Headquarters of Kawar Bill (Kyigan Pyin) accompanied by some BGP personnel went to Kawar Bill village and held a meeting in a primary school, inviting villagers who were not taking part in so-called population data collection.” 

 

In the meeting, the police arrested 10 villagers who were refused the census processing or population data collection because of writing “Bengali” instead of “Rohingya” in the Forms, said Hamid, a man who attended the meeting.  

 

The arrested are identified as---Mohamed Rofique (32), son of Ismail; Hafizur Rahman (65), son of Mohamed Sidique; Nazir Ahmed (45), son of Moha (35), son of Abdu Kader; Mohamed Ayas (30), son of Mohamed Sultan; Mohamed Yasin (40), son of Mohamed Khorim; Mohamed Shoffique (32), son of Boshir Ahmed and two others.  They all belong to Kawar Bill village, Hamid added. 

 

After arrest, they were sent to Maungdaw police station and then the concerned authorities were trying to open case against them, but they did not find any clue or crime to file case as they were innocent.  However, at last, the authorities framed case against them over the allegation that they had linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), said a youth from the locality who denied to be named.  

 

According to a reliable source from Maungdaw, all the arrestees will be sent to Buthidaung jail from Maungdaw court soon.  

 

Besides, the BGP personnel of Maungdaw also arrested another 7 villagers from Kyauk Hla Gaar village of Maungdaw north one month ago, over the allegation that they were not taking part in so-called population data collection or census. They will be also sent to Buthidaung jail after two years imprisonment each by the Maungdaw court, according to a village elder, who denied to be named.

 

The concerned authorities illegally arrested the said villagers and will be sent to jail because of not participating in the so-called population data collection, said  Hasu, a local elder.