Rohingya women from Maungdaw south were stopping vehicles today to describe to travelers the looting they endured by security forces and Rakhines, according to a local schoolteacher.
“The Rohingya women, more than three hundred [of them], were gathered alongside the Maungdaw – Alay Than Kyaw highway where they stopped each passing vehicle to share their message of appeal about the looting of their belongings.”
According to a local youth, the women stopped a vehicle belonging to Nasaka, the Burma border security force, by standing in the middle of road. After obstructing the vehicle’s path, the women asked the officer inside to protect their male relatives who are fleeing home to avoid arrest and to safeguard their properties that have been looted by members of Nasaka, the police, the army, riot police (Hluntin), and the Rakhine community.
“But the Nasaka officer told the women not to mention the name ‘Nasaka’ in [relation to] the looting,” said the youth.
“The male villagers ran away for fear of arrest and the security forces beat up some 30 women and entered homes to loot gold, money, clothes and to destroy household goods. The security forces stole 35 cows and more than 50 goats from the Zawmatact village tract. [They] entered at least 40 houses and destroyed cooking pots, taking the new ones with them. The Natakla Rakhine villagers were wielding long swords while the security forces ransacked.”
A Muangdaw elder said the Rohingya community must speak out regarding the absence of security and rule of law in their areas, as well as protest the “arrest warrant” being used by police officers to extort money from the Rohingya community.
