Set fire to Du Chee Ya Tan, loots belongings

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Du Chee Ya Tan (Kila Dong) was set on fire yesterday night at about 8:30 pm, nobody knows how it burned, said Annis from the village.

But, the security forces who stationed in the village, were near the fire spot and not allowing neighboring Rohingya villagers to enter the village to extinguish the fire, Annis added.
The fire started 8:30 pm at night in Kila Dong west village near the Maungdaw- Alay Than Kyaw highway road and Northside from Paddy field. The fire started on the third row of houses from the highway, Annis more added.
At least 20 houses were burned down to ashes on the blaze and the Kila Dong west villagers’ belongings were taking by Khayraymine Rakhine Natala villagers, said an eyewitness, who deny to be name.
The district police officer Lt.Col. Shwe Than dropped the Kharaymine Rakhine Natala villagers with looted Kila Dong west villagers’ belongings to their Natala village while fire broke out the village, with district police vehicle, the eyewitness said.
The security forces were not allowed the neighboring villagers to enter the Kila Dong west village to extinguish the fire, the security forces inside village didn’t do anything to stop the fire and Rakhine looted the villagers’ belongings which may allow by the security forces. All those happening yesterday night blaze indicated that the fire was planned way set on fire, said Halim, the Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.
But, Maungdaw Township Administration officer U Kyi San said to the media only 16 houses were burned down and no one come to the spot to extinguish the fire and no security forces chased any villagers. Authority is going to investigate how the fire started, the watchdog said.
In reality, authority restrict the Rohingya villagers to enter the village now to the burned area and it was watched by security forces, the watchdog more added.
On January 28, the Alodawpay Sayradaw was busied hole day visiting Maungdaw high official offices and the Burmese government also giving  a press conference in Rangoon where the government rejected the allegation by UN, US , UK embassies and other international media  which mention 48 Rohingya (Du Chee Ya Tan villagers) was killed in the recent event on January 13  night and so on. On night of this day – January 28, the Du Chee Ya Tan was set on fire and Rakhine looted the villagers’ belongings, said Haroon, a school teacher from Maungdaw.

Two Rohingya villagers were arrested (Maungdaw, Arakan State)

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. B...oth 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.