Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force, or Nasaka, began checking household lists in Nasaka Area No. 6 and collecting money by using new tactics among the Rohingya community of northern Arakan State, said a local elder on condition of anonymity.

The personnel of Nasaka Area No. 6 of Maungdaw Township started confirming the details of household registration lists and taking group photographs of families in Naribill Village of Maungdaw Township on March 14.

At first, the Nasaka collected 23 family lists from Naribill Village Tract, which has three villages, namely Naribill North Village, Naribill South Village, and Naribill West Village, with the collaboration of present VPDC chairman Kholi Mullah. After that, the Nasaka officers alleged that the families owned mobile phones, and asked them each to pay 50,000 kyats with the threat that the Nasaka would not take photographs or file the family lists. This is the new tactic used by the Nasaka to extort additional money from Rohingya families while collecting family lists.

As a result, the villagers are faced with a catch-22: either they must pay the bribes requested by the authorities, or they run the risk of facing fines for having their family lists in order, said a local businessman.

In Nasaka Area No. 6, there are a total of nine villages, namely Naribill, Sarfaddin, Nanda Khali, Zambonia, Kyauk Hla Gaar, Labo Zaar, Paung Zaar, Shwe Zaar, and Pren Pru.

The Nasaka started checking and photographing families in said villages, with the Nasaka officers collecting 3,000 kyats per family. The checking and photographing is a process only required for the Rohingya community in Burma.

In addition, the Nasaka have been demanding 8,000 kyats to list newborn babies, and 10,000 kyats for a dead person to be removed from a family list. Last year, the Nasaka collected less money compared to this year. They also collected 10,000 kyats from bridegrooms and 8,000 kyats from brides to transfer the brides’ names to the new families’ lists, and also took 7,000 kyats from each mosque or Madrasa (Arabic school). They required seven copies of photographs of Madrasas or mosques, said a local youth.

In addition, Nasaka personnel have also been checking family lists and taking photographs of villagers in Aley Than Kyaw Village Tract of Maungdaw South since the first week of the month. They collected 5,000 kyats to list newborns, and 5,000 kyats to drop deceased family members from lists. To list newborn children, villagers also have to acquire certificates from nurses at the rate of 1,000 kyats each, and also need recommendation letters from the immigration officer of the Nasaka Camp, for which they have to pay an addition 1,000 kyats. In this way, the Nasaka has been extracting money from the Rohingya community.

A local villager said who declined to be named said, “The money collected from villagers for the family lists and photographs is different from one place to another, depending on the local Nasaka commander. Nasaka commanders are the king of the area without a queen. ”

The purpose of the Nasaka listing and photographing the belongings of the Rohingya community is to collect money, to harass, and to push villagers closer to abject poverty.

In the rural areas, most members of the Rohingya community are very poor, and are working for their family’s basic survival with a hand-to-mouth system. These villagers are facing serious difficulties to pay the increased fees.

An elderly local man said, “Checking family lists and taking photographs is simply extorting money from the Rohingya community indirectly.”