Maungdaw, Arakan State: A Hindu woman is facing serious problems for three years making a new family list because her old one is lost. She informed the local Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) camp of her mother’s death, said a local elder.

The victim is identified as Ms. Madur (35), daughter of Shudan Shu, hailing from Shab Bazaar (Thamen Tha) under the Nasaka area No. 2 of Maungdaw Township. She has a son and a daughter. He husband has expired.

She had crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border with her family members including her mother in 1992 and taken refuge in a Bangladesh refugee camp, said a relative of the victim.

However, she and her children and her mother were repatriated to Arakan State, Burma three years ago. Unfortunately, two months after arrival at her native village, her mother died.

In Arakan State, especially for the Rohingya community, the deaths and births have to be reported to the immigration of local Nasaka camp and villagers have to pay money.  Ms Madur went to the local Nasaka camp to repot her mother death with her family list. She lost her family list on the way, a villager said quoting the victim.  

The next day, she went again to the Nasaka  camp for reporting her lost family list and for a new family list. She submitted an application along with her family group photographs to the Nasaka to get a new one family list. The Nasaka promised to make a new one but, she has not got the new one yet. She spent a lot of money and wasted of time to get it going, especially to the immigration office, local Nasaka camp and Nasaka Headquarters.

In Arakan State, the family list is very important. It has to be shown everywhere to the concerned authorities. When the Nasaka or police or soldiers enter homes at midnight on the pretext of checking the family list and guest list, they check the family members according to the family list. If the family list is not available, the owner of the house will be physically tortured and fined, said a local barber who denied to be named.  

“Ms Madur said, “I have a recommendation letter from the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) Chairman for the loss of my family list, otherwise, I will be punished by the authority.”

In the long term, the recommendation letter of the VPDC Chairman will not protect her from the authorities’ punishment. So, she wants a new one immediately.