Maungdaw, Arakan State: Recently, the Burmese Army has stepped up harassment of Rohingya villagers of Maungdaw Township. The troops were brought to Maungadw Township from other towns to oversee the erecting of border fences, said a local businessman on condition of anonymity.   

As a rule, there are no soldiers in Maungdaw Township, but, these troops were brought to Maungdaw Township from Buthidaung since September last year to supervise the erecting of barbed wire fence on the Burma-Bangladesh border and its security.  

After their arrival in Maungdaw Township, they did not arrest the villagers to extort money like the Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) has been doing among Rohingya people except stealing vegetables, green chili and using forced labour for construction of the barbed wire fence.

But, since the beginning of 2010, the army started to harass Rohingya villagers just like the Nasaka, Sarapa (Military Intelligence), he added.  

For instance, on January 1, a Captain of the engineering army who came to Maungdaw for fence construction arrested a Rohingya villager Sidique (45), from Tha Sin Ywar Thit of Zambonia village tract of Maungdaw Township on the allegation that he had stolen electric wires from a school compound. After, the arrest, he was severely tortured on a football field in front of the villagers and then brought to their temporary camp and detained. The army is stationed near a government primary school in tents under the Kyauk Hla Gaar village tract of Maungdaw Township.

The victim is a rich man but he was alleged to be a thief by the army. Villagers were surprised on hearing the allegation.  Villagers knew that it was a deliberate accusation to harass the Rohingya community and to extort money. However, in the evening, he was released after paying Kyat 60,000. The victim is being treated in Maungdaw private clinic, said a close relative of the victim.  

On that day, Eliyas, a graduate, son of Khobir Ahmed from Kyauk Hla Gaar went out of his home to send a Maulana (religious leader) to his house at about 11 am. But, accidentally, they met the Captain on the road and the Captain asked them to bring a woman for him. After bargaining among them, they were released at about 1 at night. It was a great insult to an educated person and a religious leader, said a village elder.   

Besides, the Captain has been looting goods from villagers. The Captain also does not pay money to shopkeepers after buying goods. If the shopkeepers ask for the money, they are tortured by the captain. After sunset, the Captain accompanied by other army personnel go out of their base and harasses villagers. So, villagers dare not go out of their homes.  “It has become a lawless country,” said a schoolteacher.

On January 2, a Tabalique person (religious group) went out of a mosque after Asher (8 pm) prayer at the said village, but he met the Captain on the road. A torchlight and wristwatch of the Tabalique person were looted by the Captain. “It is a premeditated action against the Rohingya people,” said a religious leader from the locality on condition of anonymity.

Besides, on December 3, at about 8 pm, Amir Hussain (11), son of Kala Meah, hail from Kyauk Hla Gaar village under Mangala Gyi village tract was kidnapped by the Captain from his shop with the intention to sodomize him. But, on being informed, his father immediately went to the spot and rescued his son. It is a strange thing for Rohingya people, said a trader from the locality.

Earlier, the army never disturbed villagers so much, but after the New Year, they have increased harassment against the Rohingya villagers. There is something behind this, said a student from Maungdaw Town.