The Maungdaw Rohingya community wasn’t allowed to gather for mass prayer during Eid-ul-Adaha, one of the biggest Islamic holidays. But they could sacrifice their livestock as long as they pay a hefty tax leveled by local officials, according to Anwer, a community leader from Maungdaw.
Village administration officers collected between 2000 to 3500 kyat for each sacrificed cow for Maungdaw Township administration officer U Kyi San, said Anwer calling it outright discrimination against Muslims.
After last year’s violence in June and then October that was mainly directed at Rohingya Muslims, the government imposed the emergency Act 144, making gatherings of more than five persons illegal. This has outlawed group prayers in mosques that are still open; many have been locked periodically by state authorities since last year.
Madrassas (Muslim schools) have been forced to close in Maungdaw. Now government schools are overcrowded; Rohingya are said to make up 90 percent of the population in this part of the state.
The emergency act has largely been applied to the Rohingya community and not the Buddhist. For example, district authorities recently allowed for a culture and dance competition for Buddhists in Maungdaw and Buthidaung. Authorities were even spotted advertising it during car tours in residential areas out of town.
Hashim, a social worker from Maungdaw, told the Kaladanpress that they donated sacrificed meat to impoverished families that lost their homes and businesses as a result of the June of 2012 violence.
“We are happy to distribute meat to poor. They are not able to buy meat as it cost more than 8000 kyat per kilogram,” he said.
Besides taxing residents for their meat, reports also emerged of police officers stealing it, according to Ahmed, from northern Maungdaw. Police robbed Maulana Ayub of the meat that was bought in Ngan Chaung on its way to Ooshaikya, Ahmed said.
On Oct. 14, U Aung Myint Soe, Maungdaw district administration officer, summoned all village administration officers in his area. He wanted the names of all the Rohingya university students, according to one person in attendance that didn’t want their name used for security concerns.
Community leaders that met with President Thein Sein during his recent visit to Maungdaw asked him about the future of Rohingya students that are barred from leaving the district to study in urban centres like Yangon and Mandalay. They also suggested that security forces apply law and order evenly for everyone without discrimination.
