Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force,or Nasaka, has resumed extorting money from villagers in Nasaka Area No. 3 of Maungdaw Township by secretly putting mobile sets in travelers’ bags or at homes, said a local businessman who requested not to be named for security reasons.

Rohingya people in northern Arakan are not allowed to possess mobile sets. If anyone is found with a mobile phone by the authorities, including personnel of the Nasaka, police, and Sarapa (Military Intelligence), he/she can be arrested, tortured, and detained. After taking a large amount of money from the arrestee, he or she will usually be set free, the local businessman said.

“However, some Rohingya who are collaborators of the Nasaka have been using Bangladeshi mobile sets with the permission of local authorities. The collaborators have to pay 100,000 kyats or more to the concerned authorities per month.”

Another local businessman said, “It is not a problem for members of the Rohingya community who are arrested for holding mobile sets. But it is intolerable that some who are arrested by the authorities are innocent people who have had no mobile sets, putting into their homes or bags in secret.”

On March 8, the personnel of the Nantha Daung Nasaka Outpost of Nasaka Area No. 3 of Maungdaw Township arrested two Rohingya travelers after putting mobile phones into their bags while the two were returning to their homes from Bangladesh. They went to Bangladesh with the permission of local Nasaka authorities. However, when they returned to Burma, their bags were seized by the Nasaka officers who then put a mobile phone in each traveler’s bag before returning the bags to the said travelers, said a relative of the victims.

After receiving their bags, the travelers proceeded to their village of Kwanthipin in Nasaka Area No. 3 of Maungdaw Township without checking their bags. However, after a while, a group of Naska officers followed them and reached the homes of travelers. After arrival, the Nasaka asked them to show their bags again. The travelers gave their bags to the Nasaka personnel, who gave allegations that they found two mobile sets.

The two travelers were arrested by the Nasaka and brought to the Nasaka camp. However, the Rohingya travelers, namely Maulana Hussain, age 19, son of Sultan, and Maulana Rafique, age 32, son of Haji Nurul Haque, were released after paying 500,000 kyats to the authorities, the relative added.

It is a normal tactic for the Nasaka or police to extort money from Rohingya villagers. If any victim goes to the concerned high-level authorities in the hope of impartiality, he will never get justice, said a youth who declined to be named.

“This is an example of one way the Nasaka extorts money from the Rohingya community. In this way, the Nasaka has extorted money from many villagers. Money extortion from trickery involving mobile sets had stopped after the November 7 elections, but has recently resumed,” said a local schoolteacher who asked not to be named.