Arakan State Chief Minister U Hla Maung Tin distributed 50,000 kyats for Buddhist families that were resettled from Bangladesh to Maungdaw, according to an official that didn’t want their name used. The chief minister also held a separate meeting with the Maungdaw Rohingya community, but he didn't give them any support.
Many Buddhist Rakhines fled from the Burman Kingdom in the 18th century to what is now Bangladesh. Now Maungdaw authorities are settling them on Rohingya land and supporting with money, claims a Maungdaw village administration officer.
The Bangladeshi Buddhists come from hill tract where worked hard to put food on the table, said Abdul Sartar, an elder from the Chittagong hill tract.
Following the June violence in 2012, Rakhine politicians started organizing safe passage to Burma, Maungdaw after allegations of discrimination in Bangladesh emerged. Now nearly 1000 families have been settled in both Maungdaw and Buthidaung, according to sources.
The Arakan state government wish to settle the Bangladeshi Buddhist community in Maungdaw and Buthidaung where the Rohingya community make up the majority, said one local politician that didn’t want their name used.
Despite their efforts to provide assistance for the Buddhist newcomers the government continues to oppress the Rohingya community. They restrict their social activates, freedom of movement, and religious and education, said the politician.
“When asked to the chief state minister about whether religious institutes which closed by authority since June, 2012 will re-open. The chief minister said it will keep while the Emergency Act 144 was imposed.”
