Buthidaung, Arakan State: The Burmese Army and Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) have been jointly harassing and extorting money from Rohingya villagers of Buthidaung Township on false and concocted charges, according to sources in the locality.
An army captain Ye Htun Hlaing of Battalion No. 551 of Khaya Sari village of Buthidaung Township visits villages with soldiers and arrests Rohingya people from the road and the locality on allegations of using Bangladeshi phones, crossing the Burma-Bangladesh border, involvement in human trafficking and communicating with their relatives abroad.
The captain also arrests villagers and brings them to the army camp for detention. In the detention center, the arrested are severely tortured and proof generated of their talking over mobile abroad by taking pictures, a local elder from Buthidaung town told to Kaladan Press Network.
He added “The captain is now stepping up harassment against Rohingya villagers in Buthidaung Township because he wants to pressurize them to support army nominees in the forthcoming elections.”
On June 1, Dudu Meah (55) from Singdaung village of Buthidaung Township was arrested on the allegation that he has illicit relations with women. Nazir Ullah (50), son of Shamsu of Rwetyu Daung village of Buthidaung Township was arrested on June 5 for allegedly using a Bangladeshi mobile. Shamsu (36) from Ula Pey village was arrested on June 7, on the same issue, sources said.
After arrest, they were severely tortured by the captain along with soldiers and they extorted Kyat 300,000 from Nazir Ullah, Kyat one million from Shamshu and Kyat two million from Dudu Meah. They were later released.
Many Rohingya villagers are arrested and tortured in the army camp of Battalion No. 551 of Buthidaung Township, said an elder in Buthidaung.
Similarly, Nasaka personnel from Nasaka area No.9 namely Tun Tun Oo and Thein Tun Oo from camp No. 21 of Buthidaung township and Nasaka personnel of Ula Pey Nasaka outpost, which is under camp No. 21, are harassing Rohingya villagers and extorting money frequently. They arrest many Rohingya people on false allegations and release them after taking Kyat 500,000 to 1.5 million each.
The two Nasaka personnel also raped two Rohingya women at night in their homes. They entered their houses on the pretext of checking the family list at night. Now, the Nasaka personnel of Ula Pey out post camp is discriminating against innocent Rohingya people including women, said a villager on condition of anonymity.
The victims were identified as Khatun (20) (not real name) and Begum (28) (not real name). Both are from Ula Pey village tract under Buthidaung Township. There are many rape cases but not all the victims report the crime to the higher authorities.
Some arrested persons were identified as Abdul Amin (20), son of Abdur Rahaman, Sayed Akbar (18), son of Kabir Hussain of Ula Pey village and Sayed Kasim (47) from Singdaung village of Buthidaung Township. They were arrested by Nasaka personnel in June.
As of April the Captain directed his soldiers to harass and arrest Rohingya people on false allegations, said a trader from Buthidaung Township.
At night, villagers cannot sleep properly out of fear of arrest by Nasaka personnel and soldiers, sources said.
“I believe the harassment and extortion will lessen before the elections, but now the harassment is on the rise daily and villagers are facing myriad difficulties, a local elder from southern Maungdaw Town said.
