Maungdaw, Arakan State: More than ten dead bodies have been floating in the Naf River, on the Burma side- near Myinthlut Village Tract, since February 7, according to a village administration office member from Myinthlut.
“The bodies floating in the Naf River are not allowed to be collected and buried by their relatives and villagers. The order was given by the commander of Nasaka area number 8,” the source said.
There is speculation the bodies are those of boatpeople bound for Malaysia who left the area five days ago with the cooperation of Nasaka personnel who are said to have collected 50,000 kyats per head.
“The boat may have capsized in the Bay of Bengal. But no one can confirm it,” the source said.
Villagers say Nasaka is attempting to “kill two birds in one stone” by reducing the population of Rohingyas in Arakan State and earning money at the same time by giving permission to go abroad.
Rohingyas who leave cannot re-enter their homeland, however.
“The Nasaka personnel and the commander are denying permission to collect and bury the dead from river for fear of exposing their involvement in trafficking boatpeople,” a school teacher from the village said.
“The Nasaka also ordered the villagers to push the bodies back out into the river if any reach the shore,” he said.
The Nasaka personnel are said to fear an investigation into similar event which occurred last November 23, 2011 when more than 138 boatpeople went missing when a Malaysia bound boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal.
Unnamed sources say the bodies were disposed of at sea by Nasaka personnel who are accused of fastening heavy stones to them to destroy evidence of the event, an aide from the Naska camp said.
The voyage to Malaysia from Bangladesh and Burma is very risky and many boatpeople have perished on the way. Some have been arrested by Thai and Burmese authorities.
However, many migrants from Burma and Bangladesh still attempt the voyage.
