Maungdaw, Arakan State: Off late, in Maungdaw Township, a Natala (Model) village Chairman’s extortion and harassment of Rohingya villagers in a nexus with authorities has become intolerable for villagers, said a local schoolteacher on condition of anonymity.

The number of Natala villages has been increasing in northern Arakan since 1990. Brought from Burma proper, most of them are drug addicts and poor people, who were living on roadside platforms in Rangoon. Some are long term convicted prisoners, and some are retired army personnel. They were brought to Arakan State for many reasons, such as to increase the Buddhist community in north Arakan, to harass the Rohingya community and expel them from their motherland and to serve the Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) and army battalions in immoral ways, said a local elder seeking anonymity.  

On July 14, Abdullah (25), son of Abdu Manan hailing from Paung Zaar of Maungdaw Township was arrested by the Nasaka officer of 3-mile gate of Maungdaw on the allegation that he was involved in human trafficking. This allegation was the idea of the current village Chairman of Aung Thaya Natala village of Maungdaw Township. The victim knows nothing about human trafficking and is a shopkeeper in Maungdaw market. However, he was released the next day after bribing Kyat one million to the Nasaka officer, said a close relative of the victim.

On July 15, the Natala village Chairman accompanied by the land survey officer of Maungdaw town went to Kawar Bill village of Maungdaw Township and asked Shamshu Alam (35), hailing from the village to provide them Kyat one million for his paddy field (one acre) which is near the Natala village, or else, it would be seized for a government project.  The next day, the land owner bribed them Kyat one million not to seize the land, said a local youth who declined to be named.

A local youth said, “Rohingya community becomes an cowardly community in Arakan as an ordinary Natala villager be able to  extort money from them.”

The Chaiman is also trying to seize 0.20 acre of home compound from Moulvi Rofique (42), son of Enus from Kawar Bill east village of Maungdaw Township. Moulvi Rafaque was forced to vacate the land for extension of a video hall, which was forcibly built in November 2009 by the Natala village Chairman. But the land owner refused to give the entire land, so the Natala village Chairman started troubling him with the help of the local Nasaka. The victim is unable to stay in his home, said a close relative of Moulvi Rofique.

The video shows in the hall are from 8 am to 1 pm every day. After that, the Natala village Chairman brings prostitutes to the hall and starts a prostitution business. As a result, local youths are being lured and the social fabric of the local villages is being tainted.

A local elder said, “The Natala village Chairman is a notorious man and troubles local villagers with the help of the local authorities and is also destroying the image of local villagers. So, the higher authorities have to look into the matter seriously.”