Over 30.8 acres of arable land were destroyed by salt water by a powerful Nasaka collaborator with the intention of seizing a shrimp project from local villagers, said a land owner in Maungdaw Town
Over three years a former village Chairman Jubair and a land survey officer U San Shwe Maung of Maungdaw Town seized the arable land from the villagers of Maung Nama and Nari Bill villages of Maungdaw Township. The two are close collaborators of Nasaka Director Lt Col Aung Gyi of Kawar Bill of Maungdaw Township.
At the bottom of the land, there is a big shrimp project of former village Chairman Jubair, U San Shwe Maung and the Nasaka Director. The former village Chairman wants to expand the shrimp project, so he put salt water in his shrimp project together with the said land with the help of the Nasaka Director. Now the lands are unfit to grow paddy.
The concerned authorities were informed, but they did not pay any heed.
“If the seized lands could grow paddy, there would be plenty of rice in the village,” a village elder said.
Besides, over 300 acres of land had been seized from these two villages for Natala (model) villagers in 1991-92. Another 100 acres were also confiscated by the Nasaka for rubber plantations. A total of about 430.8 acres of lands were seized from two villages of Maungdaw Township. So, most of the villagers have become landless and jobless, said a local farmer.
One villager, lost 2 to 4 acres of land. Some of the land owners are identified as Khobir Ahmed, Hussain, Mohamed Sidique, Fazal Karim, Molvi Sidique, Ismail, Rahmat Ullah, Lal Mohamed, Md. Hussain, Jahid Hussain, Md. Ismail, Noor Mohamed, Hasu Meah, Abul Kalam, Esuf, Md Enus, Md Sayed, Abul Hashim, Osi Rahman, Deen Mohamed, Ali Ahmed, Abdu Soban and Quila Meah. They all belong to Maung Nama village and Naribil village of Maungdaw Township.
In Maungdaw Township, the Army, Sarapa (Military Intelligence), Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) members, Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) members, District Peace and Development Council (DPDC) members, TOC (Tactical Operation Command), Nasaka and police own shrimp projects after seizing lands from Rohingya villagers, said a local trader.
