Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Myanmar Muslim Council’s office was raided by a team comprising the police, Military Intelligence (Sarapa), BSI (Special Investigation Branch) and SB (Special Branch of the police) yesterday, at around 9 a.m. The team arrested 10 members including a boy who served in the office, according to sources.
 
Many Moulanas (teachers of Madrasas) occasionally went to this office to solve their problems of Madrasas. Salim alias Than Tun is the Chairman of the Myanmar Muslim Council of Maungadaw.
 
Yesterday, at about 9 a.m. the team from Maungdaw Town raided the office of Myanmar Muslim Council and checked the documents till 4 p.m. After which 10-Myanmar Muslim Council members including others who went to the office were arrested and brought to Maungdaw police station.
 
It is learnt that the Military Operation Command (MOC) Commander of Buthidaung Town ordered the said team to raid the office. They were arrested for national security reason, said an aide of Burma ’s security force (Nasaka).
 
The arrestees have been kept in police custody since last night.
 
Some of the arrestees have been identified as---Nir Ahmed, Abdu Razak, Md. Sobor, Puto, younger brother of Salim,  Maulana Obaid, Yakub, a Maunla from Zee Bin Khali village, Master Shamshu, a senior assistant teacher (SAT) hailing from Ba Gone Nah village in Maungdaw Township. Salim, the Chairman of the Myanmar Muslim Council was also arrested.
 
According to an elder of Maungdaw Town , today they are being called to the Sarapa office one by one for interrogation.
 
Local elders believe that they were arrested because of the ensuing constitutional referendum.