Maungdaw, Arakan State: An ex-village chairman was killed by unknown assailants in Maungdaw Township on March 13 at about 10:00 pm while he on his way home after having dinner at a local villager’s house, said a close relative of the chairman.

The dead body was identified as belonging to ex-village chairman Nazu Meah, age 32, son of Omar Meah, who hailed from Thanda Para Village under Nasaka Area No. 7 of Maungdaw Township.

Earlier that evening, the ex-village chairman was invited for dinner by a villager of Thanda Para named Md. Toyub. After having dinner, Nazu Meah was going to his home, but he was slaughtered by unknown assassins while on his way.

Nazu Meah was a collaborator of the Nasaka and gave many troubles to the local villagers with the help of Nasaka personnel. Many local villagers resented his activities.

A villager speaking on condition of anonymity said, “Two or three villagers maybe killed him”.

Regarding the matter, on March 14, three villagers including Md. Toyub, who had invited the ex-chairman to his house for dinner, were arrested by Nasaka personnel of Nasaka Area No. 7 and are now undergoing interrogation at the Nasaka camp.

The dead body was sent to Aley Than Kyaw clinic for autopsy. Nazu Meah was buried in his local cemetery on the same day day, said a local trader.

Local people have been living in panic that the Nasaka will arrest more villagers who are able to pay ransom money, the trader continued.

“It is a good chance for the Nasaka personnel to extort money from innocent Rohingya villagers after implicating them in a murder case,” said a local elder.