Maungdaw, Arakan State: Shwe Maung, Surveillance Officer and Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) from Maungdaw police station is into extortion and harassing Arakanese Rohingya timber traders, according to a trader from Maungdaw.

In Maungdaw, there are many timber trading outlets, which belong to Arakanese Rakhine and Arakanese Rohingya, who have permission of the Forest department to sell timber, said the trader.

But, the officer Shwe Maung asks only Arakanese Rohingya to pay him Kyat 100,000 monthly, the trader added.

“If anyone does not pay, the ASI creates problem, where the trader faces difficulties in his business dealings and sometimes the ASI takes timber without  paying,” the trader added.

“Why does the ASI ask only Arakanese Rohingya for monthly toll and why not the Arakanese Rakhine? The Arakanese Rohingyas are Muslims that’s why,” said a student from Maungdaw.

On the other hand, the ASI also harasses Arakanese Rohingya with false cases to extort money. The ASI arrested on false cases last week, three Arakanese Rohingya (father and two sons) from Myothugyi (Haingda Para) and demand 300,000 Kyats and when they failed to pay, the ASI kept the three in his office room for three days till they paid, said a policeman.

“Every officer here is trying to extort money from Arakanese Rohingya to fulfill their quota for giving to higher officers to keep their posting in the station, where they can earn easy money,” the policeman said.

Shwe Maung was appointed two months ago in Maungdaw police station as a Surveillance Officer  after bribing a township officer and agreed  to pay one million kyat monthly to the officer, said a closed aide from the police station.

The officers in Maungdaw police station have to pay monthly to the township officer regularly, otherwise they will be shifted from their post to other stations in rural areas or other towns of Arakan State, the aide said.

So, the officers from Maungdaw police station are trying to collect money from Arakanese Rohingya with false cases and extort money to pay to higher officers, the aide added.