Maungdaw, Arakan State: Bridge security personnel have been collecting atoll fromRohingyas using the bridge since it opened to the public six months ago, and have been accused of robbery, a village administrator from Mingalagyisaid.
The road has three bridges and each bridge has security personnel to protect it.
However, the security officials are forcing Rohingya travellers to pay a toll, said a teacher from Shwezar.
“The bridge security personnel are only there to guard the bridge, not to collect the toll,” he said.
The bridge security personnel are collecting kyat 2000 per vehicle and they also checkRohingya travelers’ identity cards and force them pay 100 kyat each, said a traveller.
“The security personnel force the Rohingya to pay money even if they have all the documents to travel. The officers do whatever they want to the local people. There is no law for them,” he said.
“Sometimes, the security personnel robbed the travelers at night and took all their belongings.”
Recently, at Shwezar Bridge, Rashid and two other security personnel robbed travelers going to their home from Maungdaw market at night, according to a businessman from Maungdaw.
“The villagers complained to the village administrator and local Nasaka (Burmese border security force) about harassment by bridge security officers but no action has been taken .”
