Maungdaw, Arakan State: Officers of Burma’s border security force (the Nasaka) have been entering villagers’ houses at night in Maungdaw Township, and it becoming unendurable for the villagers, said a village elder from the locality who declined to be named.
Recently, a captain of Aung Mingala Nasaka Out-post under the Nasaka Headquarters of Maungdaw Township entered the nearby houses of villages at night while they were going there as patrol to search for some things. However, the captain did not give any reason to the villagers regarding why he entered their homes.
After entering the houses, the Nasaka pretends to search for some things, and then leaves the houses. But sometimes they want to attack women and girls if they get the opportunity. At night, if the house owner does not open the door, the Nasaka enters the home after breaking the door and harassing the owner, said a local businessman.
Earlier, the Nasaka Director Lt Col Aung Gyi asked the villagers in a meeting with local people at Maung Nama Village not to open the door at night to any one. This was ordered by the Nasaka Director after the incident happened in Kamaung Seik Village of Nasaka Area No. 2 of Maungdaw Township.
Therefore, at present, the villagers are in dilemma whether to follow the director’s order, or to open the door to avoid harassment from the local Nasaka. It is a very confusing matter that the said out-post Nasaka camp is under the command of Nasaka Headquarters where the Nasaka Director Lt Col Aung Gyi is present, the businessman continued.
However, yesterday, the said Nasaka captain arrested a villager named Abu Sidique (22), son of Habi Rahman, who hails from Maung Nama Village, for transferring his shop to a new place. So far, he is detained in the camp and it is not necessary to arrest him. It is only to harass the Rohingya community after finding no other faults, said a trader from the locality who preferred not to be named.
Besides, on April 27, three villagers from Kamaung Seik Village, under the Nasaka Area No. 2, were arrested by the Nasaka while they were fleeing from Burma to Bangladesh in order to avoid the Nasaka’s discrimination since March of this year. At first, they were sent to Nasaka Headquarters, and then to Nasaka Area No. 6 where they have been tortured cold-bloodedly, said a villager from Nasaka Area No. 6 who declined to be named.
On the other hand, the Nasaka is preparing to return the seized properties from villagers of Kamaung Seik Village Tract, such as land, cattle, rice, paddy, and other things after the incident of February this year.
“The Nasaka does as they wish against the local villagers, and doesn’t follow the orders of high officers. It means that they have no chain of command and let the lower officers do anything against the Rohingya villagers,” said a schoolteacher from the locality.
