Maungdaw, Arakan State: For the past six months, the chairman of the Maungdaw Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) has been exploiting members of a Rohingya family for his sexual pleasure, according to a village elder from Maungdaw.

U Aung Kyaw Oo, the chairman of the TPDC, pays regular visits to a Rohingya family with three young daughters in order to take advantage of the girls for sex, the elder said.

The head of the Rohingya family is Mohamed Shah, who hails from Bomu Village of Maungdaw, located between Myoma Kyanyindan and Maung Ni Village.

“The chairman comes to Mohamed Shah’s residence four-to-five times a week and stays from 6 pm to 10 pm.”

“The chairman asked Mohamed to give him a room where he can talk with his daughters and stay in the room,” said a villager from Bomu village.

“The local residents from the village know what is happening in the home of Mohamed Shah and have complained to Mohamed Shah about the frequent visits of the TPDC chairman,” the village elder added.

“When the villagers asked him why the chairman comes to his home and stays with his daughters, Mohamed Shah threatened to inform the chairman about the matter of the curious neighbors,” said a religious leader.

“Local residents are not able to say anything about this matter as the chairman is a high ranking civil officer.”

The chairman also frequently takes the youngest daughter to his private home where he lives alone, said an official from Maungdaw.

The chairman helped Mohamed Shah when his shrimp farm was to be seized by concerned authorities. The two men developed a close relationship soon after. The chairman is believed to have then made his first visit to the home of Mohamed Shah and met his daughters.