Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Rohingyas who are living in Maungdaw and Buthidaung are facing difficulty while attempting to travel on the Maungdaw-Buthidaung Road, Ahnno, a driver who regularly travels on the road, said.
“The Rohingya from Maungdaw who travel on this road must pay 1,000 kyats at the Burma border security force (Nasaka) gate at three miles, even when they have all of the required documents.”
“The Rohingya from Buthidaung must pay 2,000 kyats at the gate, and if they stay overnight, they must pay 2,000 kyats per day per person.”
“The Rohingya from Buthidaung who want to go to Bangladesh for medical treatment needs to process all documents in Maungdaw, and then when they return to their hometown, they must pay more than 10,000 kyats at the Three Miles Gate.”
The Rohingya who are traveling on this road are mostly traders who bring local goods from Buthidaung to Maungdaw to earn enough money for their survival. But the Nasaka officers stationed at Three Miles Gate give them so many problems that many do not want to travel, said a businessman from Maungdaw.
“On this road, the authorities are stationed at several check posts only to check the Rohingya community members from Maungdaw and Buthidaung to get extra money.”
“It is not only on the Maungdaw-Buthidaung Road, but also on the Maungdaw-Alaythankyaw -Magyichaung Road and the Maungdaw-Bowli Bazaar Road,” said a teacher from Maungdaw.
“Whenever the high officials visit, the officers always say they will remove the restrictions and issue ID cards. But the authorities always continue to rob from the Rohingya community in several ways.”
