Maungdaw, Burma: A villager in Maungdaw Township was severely assaulted for cutting off branches of trees which have been growing near his paddy. He became unconscious and started vomiting blood on November 11, said a family member of the victim.

The victim was identified as Maulvi Sayed Amin (28), son of Abdul Zabber, hailing from Kyat Chaung village under the Loung Don village tract of Maungdaw Township.

The victim is a farmer who grows paddy near a hill, which also has many kinds of trees in a garden maintained by villagers with the help of an NGO called CARE. The victim has been also growing paddy near the hill. Some of the branches of the trees were cut off by the victim to avoid shadow of the trees from falling on his paddy. Shadows, where sunlight is blocked, become an obstacle to the growth of paddy.

On November 11, one of the gardeners named Abdu Zabber of the same village went to the police out post of Loung Don village and told them about the cutting of branches of the trees by Sayed.

The, police went to the spot and arrested Moulvi Sayed Amin and tortured him severely and then brought him to their camp in an unconscious state. But, he was released after they took kyat 50,000 as bribe that night. The victim's elder brother accompanied by a village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) member went to the police camp to have the victim released.  Police told them that the victim would be beaten up until they got money, said a friend of the victim on condition of anonymity.  

At present, the victim is in a critical condition in Bawli Bazaar clinic, said a close relative from clinic.