Maungdaw, Arakan State: A Sara Oo village house owner of Maungdaw Township was arrested and fined on January 28 by Burma’s border security force – Nasaka for hosting a relative as a guest in his house, said a close relative of the victim on condition of anonymity.

The victim is Maulvi Abdullah (35), son of Maulvi Ahmed Khabir from Sara Oo village of Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, Burma.

On January 28, at about 8 pm, a relative from Naribill village of Maungdaw Township went to Maulvi Abdullah’s home on a visit to his family. But, Abdullah was late in informing the local Nasaka camp as he was busy and decided to do it the next day morning, his relative added.  

At about 11 pm, on being tipped off a section of Nasaka from Mingala Nasaka out-post of Maungdaw Township went and arrested Abullah and the guest for not informing the Nasaka authority, said another local friend of the victim.  

In northern Arakan, villagers are expected to inform the authorities about their guest list if any stranger comes to the village. Those failing to comply with the order will be punished according to the law.

However, the following day the arrested were released after paying Kyat 150,000, said a local businessman.

“Nasaka always finds weak points or faults of local villagers to extort money but exclude other non-Rohingya people,” A village elder said.

Since 1992, Nasaka  has been lording it over north  Arakan dividing north Arakan into blocks to oversee the Arakanese Rohingya people with ---  the army, police, Sarapa (Military Intelligence), Township Peace and Development Council, and District Peace and Development Council. All methods of persecution against the Arakanese Rohingya people come from the Western Command Commander in Ann Township of southern Arakan State. The Commander General Thaung Aye frequently visits north Arakan for advising local officers, said a trader from Maungdaw Town preferring not to be named.  

For instance, the Western Command Commander visited Buthidaung Township and ordered local officers to confiscate over 750 acres of arable land from Arakanese Rohingya farmers for about 500 families of Natala villagers to build five Natala villages in Buthidaung south, said a local farmer whose lands were confiscated for new comers from Burma proper.