Maungdaw, Arakan State: Villagers of Nandakhali and Zambonia villages under Nasaka Area No. 9 of Maungdaw Township have been made to pay for rations for Nasaka personnel at two outposts since last month, said a local trader who declined to be named.
These two outpost camps were established recently, at the villages of Nandakhali and Zambonia under the Nasaka Area No. 6. The camps have six Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) personnel per outpost camp. There are eight Nasaka camps in Maungdaw Township that have been ruling the Rohingya community with an iron hand since 1992.
“Villagers living near the outpost camps, have to pay for daily rations such as rice, edible oil, vegetables, salt, meat or fish, chili, and turmeric, to the camps. The Nasaka tells the villagers this is their duty as the Nasaka provides sentry to the villagers from robbers and others.”
“These two camps were established only to increase harassments to the local villagers. There is no other intention,” said a local villager.
“The personnel at the camps collect Kyat 500 from each person, and Kyat 2,000 from each car, when they cross the point of the Nasaka outpost camps.”
“It is a great harassment to the villagers that they have to pay money to go out of their village to work in the paddy fields and other places.”
“Besides, the Commander of Kyaka Laggar Nasaka camp and Sarapa (Military Intelligence) Officer U Kyaw Naing of Nasaka Area No. 6 frequently go to Kyauk Lagaar market and take goods from the shops without paying money to the shopkeepers. If the shopkeepers ask for money, they will be beaten or tortured.”
In addition, the four villages of Kyauk Lagaar, Zambonia, Mingla Gyi and Letpu Gaung must provide a taxi every day for the Nasaka camp. The villages have a total of 16 taxis. Everyday one taxi is standby for the camp, said one of the taxi drivers from the village.
According to a local youth, everyday, the Nasaka commander goes to Maungdaw town to see the situation of the people who go to town from rural areas.
“It is a very heavy duty for us to pay for the rations of the Nasaka personnel while we are facing our own acute financial crisis in the village due to joblessness,” said a local elder on condition of anonymity.
“Everyday, we also have to provide men for the village sentry posts, so the villagers are deprived from sleeping and working to support their family members.”
