Maungdaw, Arakan State: Villagers of Aley Than Kyaw Village of Maungdaw Township have been facing acute difficulties to bury dead bodies as the Nasaka seized their cemetery six months ago, said a local elder who declined to be named.
“For instance, recently, a child of Abdulla, hailing from Budowa Para (village) of Aley Than Kyaw Village Tract, died and had to be buried on his family’s farm land because of the lack space at the cemetery,” said the elder.
“The old cemetery of Aley Than Kyaw was confiscated by the Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) six months ago without any reason given to the villagers. But it was returned to the villagers after two months after an influential Rohingya leader filed a request with the concerned authorities.”
“The cemetery was established on the southern side of Maungdaw-Aley Than Kyaw Road, and close to the Maungdaw-Aley Than Kyaw road. It has many old trees which were totally felled by the authorities. Its area is over six acres. During the confiscation, dead bodies of Rohingya villagers were totally banned from being buried in the cemetery.”
“However, one month after returning the cemetery, Naska Director Lt. Col. Aung Gyi went to the village and confiscated the cemetery again from the villagers, erecting red flag poles around the boundary. Still, it has no construction on it,” the elder explained.
The cemetery was established before the period of British colonisation, so it has many big trees. The Nasaka wants to destroy all evidence of Rohingyas’ existence in northern Arakan. Especially they want to change the topography of northern Arakan, said a schoolteacher from the locality.
In addition, another cemetery that was established recently near Puran Bazaar was also seized by the Nasaka. At present, a Nasaka camp is being built on the cemetery, the schoolteacher added.
“There are many spaces for the Nasaca camps and army camps to grow paddy for the families of the Nasaka and the army, and for other purposes. Why is the Nasaka so eager to confiscate the Muslim cemeteries? What is the reason behind this program?” asked a politician from Maungdaw.
In northern Arakan, especially in Maungdaw and Buthidaung Township, the Nasaka have confiscated cemeteries of Arakanese Rohingyas and established their camps and other buildings on them, even though there are other available spaces to build their camps. This action of the Nasaka makes the Arakanese Rohingya community very angry. Is there really any religious freedom in Burma, asked a villager elder who asked not to be named.
