Maungdaw, Arakan State :  A Rohingya was arrested by Burma ’s border security force while six others went into hiding to evade arrest for casting the 'No' vote in the referendum, according to a village elder.
 
The arrested was identified as Md. Jamal (35), son of Sayed Ahmed from Kyauk Chaung (Shilkhali) village in Maungdaw Township . On May 10, Jamal asked a Nasaka officer whether it was a real referendum. The officer said that it was a real referendum. The youth retorted 'if so, why do you force people to cast the 'Yes' vote?' The Nasaka officer of sector No. 4 arrested him on the allegation that he was trying to disrupt the polling process. He is still in Nasaka custody. He was also implicated in a false rape case, said a relative of the victim.
 
On the same day the Nasaka started searching for six other Rohingya youths for casting the 'No' vote In Kyauk Chaung village in Maungdaw Township .  They have gone into hiding to evade arrest, said a schoolteacher in the locality.
 
The six have been  identified as Kamal Hussain (25), son of Quilla Meah, Aktas Ahmed (25), son of Sayed Ahmed, Nasir Ahmed (18), son of Jakir Ahmed, Afser Meah (18), son of Ezar Meah, Noor Kamal (22), son of Shab Meah, and Nur Alam(23), son of Nazir Ahmed. All the youths belong to Kyauk Chaung village.
 
The polling station staff came to know that the youths had cast the 'No' vote.  Following which the police and Nasaka have been on the look out for them.
 
The Nasaka and the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) members asked the VPDC Chairman Nurul Islam not to issue them travel permits, according to student of the village.