“Yesterday, the Nasaka personnel of Nari Bill North Nasaka Camp under the Nasaka Headquarters of Kyi Gan Pyin of Maungdaw Township brought 13 Rohingya villagers to their camp, then detained and tortured the villagers in the camp over the allegation that they were sitting at a local shop after praying at a local mosque, at about 9:30 pm.”

“After praying, on the way to their homes, the Rohingya entered the shop to buy cigarettes, betel quid, and other things. It was not too late at night, just after praying at the mosque. The villagers were arrested after the officers asked why they were sitting in front of the shop. The Nasaka has only an obligation to ask the villagers about their purposes when they are out of their home after 12 midnight.”

“After the arrest, they were kept in the stocks in the camp, and some of them were beaten in the camp. What are the faults of these villagers? It is nothing but harassment of the Rohingya community without a reason,” said the father of an arrestee.

“The next day, in the morning, all the arrestees were forced to work in the camp without food. They were not able to fast that day. The whole day, they had to work such as cleaning the camp, constructing small roads in the camp, and making a fence around the camp. However, they were released after sunset.”

“It was unnecessary harassment to the Rohingya villagers during the holy month of Ramadan. The villagers were barred from fasting and praying Namaz in the mosque,” said a religious leader on condition of anonymity.

“There is no religious freedom in Burma.”

The arrestees were identified as Sayedullah (26), son of Ali Ahmed, Abu Baker (27), son of Abu Sayed, Monir (22), son of Bozor Meah, Gogor Meah (25), son of Hassan, Arafat (25), son of Abdu Salam, Noor Mohamed (25), son of Fazal Ahmed, along with others, said one of the fathers of the arrestees. All the arrestees belong to Nari Bill West Village of Maungdaw Township.