Maungdaw, Arakan State: Over 200 acres of arable land are not being used for growing paddy in Kawarbill village, Maungdaw Township this monsoon. The land was seized from Rohingya farmers for Natala villagers in June 15 by Burma’s security force, Nasaka, said a local elder on condition of anonymity.
 
Some confiscated lands were distributed to Aung Thaya Natala (Model) villagers to grow paddy. But they have no knowledge of cultivation. So the Natala villagers want to lease it to Rohingya farmers. Natala villagers do not want to work in the farm lands. They try to loot goods and to steal cattle from Rohingya villagers with the backing of authorities such as police, Nasaka, the Burmese Army and Sarapa (Military Intelligence), he added.
 
Earlier, the Aung Thaya Natala villagers of Maungdaw Township were given farm lands by the authorities, which were confiscated from the Rohingya community. These lands also have been leased to Rohingiya farmers again to grow paddy.  This time, too, the authorities seized farm lands from Rohingya people and distributed it to Aung Thaya Natala village, which has only 130 houses. The ploy is to render the Rohingya farmers into landlessness make Natala villagers land owners, said a local trader.
 
The Natala villagers tried to force the Rohingya villagers to grow paddy, but the latter refused. So, the Natala villagers brought it to the notice of the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman of Maungdaw Township to resolve the problem. The TPDC Chairman ordered the Rohingya villagers to take the land from Natala villagers and grow paddy on behalf of Natala villagers. The Rohingiya farmers did not comply with the order, said a farmer who did not want to be named.
 
The Natala villagers have warned Rohingya villagers that any cattle belonging to them found grazing on the seized lands will be fined kyat 50,000 per head.  The Rohingya villagers are in a spot over their cattle because the confiscated farm lands surround their villages. Tension is palpable and at ay time there will be a major dispute between Rohingya villagers and Natala villagers, he added.
 
Baderul Islam, 40, son of Lal Mohamed, a member of village authority of Wabeg was arrested yesterday for neglecting of TPDC ordered, said a villager from Wabeg.
 
A local youth said, “The attitude of the authorities is ridiculous because they are trying to force Rohingya farmers to grow paddy in the confiscated lands on behalf of Natala villagers.”
 
If paddy is not grown on the vacant arable land in time, the people of Maungdaw Township will be badly affected in the next season, said a local farmer.
 
The authorities plan to bring more Natala villagers from Burma proper to north Arakan in the future to lord it over the Rohingya community and push them into landlessness, said a school teacher preferring not to be named.