“One member of the National Security Agency, Win Hla Htun, is going around Maungdaw where Arakanese Rohingya are sitting their shops and business centers to check the position of Arakanese Rohingya businessmen with the help of his collaborators,” said a source who asked not to be named.

“He started harassing Arakanese Rohingya businessman on April 5 in the Maungdaw municipal area. The National Security personnel had already been harassing the rural area people while they were in town for business or other purposes.”

Win Hla Htun summoned Rohingya businessman Akaram, and went to his shop to pick up with his motorbike on April 5. After he picked up Akaram, who has shop on Master Munaf shopping line, he was accused by the agency that he is dealing in Yaba (methamphetamines). So, the agency asked for 500,000 kyats. If victims fail to pay the demanded money, the National Security personnel torture the detainees physically and mentally in their camp, said an aide from the agency.

“Akaram was released after paying the demanded money to the agency.”

Similarly, yesterday Farook Sha, another Arakanese Rohingya businessman, was picked up by Win Hla Htun and taken to an office where he was also accused by the agency in the same manner as Akaram. It is still not known when Farook Sha will be released from detention.

“This is a method for the authorities to extort money from the Arakanese Rohingya community with false allegations and physical and mental harassment in order to coerce people to fulfill their demands,” said a schoolteacher from Maungdaw.

“The harassment was started again after the national elections on November 7, and all the authorities are going to harass the Rohingya community. We don’t know if the new government will handle the situation of northern Arakan with peace.”