Villagers of Maungdaw Township are being forced by Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) to buy rubber saplings, said a local elder.

The Nasaka officials of Nasaka area No. 6 of Maungdaw Township ordered the Naribill villagers of Maungdaw Township yesterday to buy rubber saplings and to grow it on the roadside under the village tracts of Nasaka area No. 6.  If any one does not comply with the order, he will be punished.

Forest department sowed seeds to get these seedlings in Maungdaw Township on the orders of Nasaka.

Every family has to buy 10 to 20 saplings and must pay Kyat 2,000 to 5,000 in keeping with their family income. Poor families have to buy 10 rubber saplings and rich families need to buy 10 saplings. Today, villagers were forced by Nasaka to go to a nursery to buy rubber saplings, according to a local youth.

Every year, in Maungdaw Township, the Nasaka forces the villagers to buy rubber saplings and it makes a lot of money by selling it. No successful rubber plantation exists in the area. The authorities only intend to make money from the villagers, said a local villager on condition of anonymity.

Besides, yesterday, the Nasaka also asked villagers of Nasaka area No.6 to provide 400 Taungs (one Taung= 14 kg) of paddy a village for the ensuing harvest said a local elder on condition of anonymity.

The Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) members go to every house and collect Kyat 1,000 to 5,000 each. Some families have to pay Kyat 1,000 and some have to pay Kyat 5,000. This money is meant for buying paddy from villagers.

A village trader said, “After collecting money from villagers, the authorities will give it back to villagers to purchase paddy. It is a kind of tactics to extort money from the villagers.”