All passengers, except Buddhists, get off at Burma’s border security force, or Nasaka’s seven-checkpoint or 7 Gates to show their ID cards, recommendation letters and photographs, said a local trader.
There are 7 Nasaka checkpoints only in Maungdaw Township. Of those, they are three checkpoints north of Maungdaw such as Pawet Chaung Nasaka checkpoint, Nasaka Headquarters checkpoints and Aung Mingala checkpoint. The fourth Nasaka checkpoint is at 3 miles of Maungdaw Town, which is on Maungdaw-Bithidaung high way. The fifth, sixth and seventh Nasaka checkpoints are on Maungdaw-Aley Than Kyaw road.
The Pawet Chaung Gate is 3.5 miles from Nasaka Headquarters Gate and Maungdaw 3 miles Gate is only 4 miles from Nasaka Headquarters Gate. The Aung Mingala Gate is only 2 miles from Nasaka headquarters Gate.
The Powet Chaung Nasaka checkpoint is on Bawli Bazaar- Maungdaw high way, near a Rakhine village. Ten Nasaka personnel stay in the checkpoint camp. They collect toll from Rohingya passengers. They collect Kyat 200 from a bicycle, Kyat 1000 to 2,000 from a car, Kyat 5,000 from a Dina car and Kyat 200 from a peddler with goods. All the passengers except Buddhist passengers get off the car when the passenger cars reach the checkpoint, said a local youth.
They also collect 3,000 from a jeep, Kyat 1,000 from a taxi. The car drivers have to pay every day when they cross the Nasaka checkpoint. If the passengers are Arakanese Rohingyas, they have to show their ID cards, recommendation letters from concerned Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) Chairmen and photographs. If the passengers can show the three documents, they do not have to pay to the Nasaka checkpoint. If one document is short, the passenger pay Kyat 1,000 to the Nasaka.
Similarly less than the above mentioned money, Rohingya passengers have to pay to cross the other Nasaka checkpoints. They have to cross at least two or three checkpoints to do their personal work, and have to pay money at the checkpoints. Besides, the Nasaka personnel humiliate and harass Rohingya passengers, said a local villager.
If such humiliation and movement restriction are imposed on the Rohingya community, how will they survive in Arakan, asked a local elder on condition of anonymity.
Another businessman said, “The junta authorities want to stay in power after the next elections. By any means, they will try to get votes whether the world community or people of the country support it or not.
