Maungdaw, Arakan State: The construction of barbed wire fencing on the Burma- Bangladesh border has led to extortion from the Rohingya community. The junta declared that the construction of the fence was to stop smuggling and human trafficking, said a local elder.  

This fence is completed from Fatanzar (Padinn) village of Nasaka area No.6 to Nasaka area No.3 of Maungdaw Township. The Nasaka is also building outpost camps on the small river mouths which flow to the Naff River.

Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) has started construction of the Burma-Bangladesh border barbed wire fence since October 21, 2009, after the rainy season was over.

At present, the Nasaka harasses the villagers, who go near the fence for tilling their paddy fields, to graze cattle and to carry goods from the river by rowing boats on the allegation that they went there to cut the fence, said a local trader.

On such allegations, Nasaka arrest villagers and extort money from them. The Nasaka extorted Kyat 300,000 to 700,000 from a villager whom they met nearby the fence, the local trader added.  

Nasaka extorted money from the villagers of Somma Khara village, Taungbro Right and Left villages, Kunsi Bong village, and Lar Gua Para village of Nasaka area No.3 of Maungdaw Township.

For instance, on April, a villager named Nayim Ullah from Nasaka area No.3 of Maungdaw Township was arrested by the Nasaka of Taungbro when he went to the bank of Naf River to carry goods after sunset.  He was accused of trying to cut the fence.  Later, he was released after paying Kyat 80,000. He is a daily worker, said a close relative of the victim.

There are many unreported cases of villagers being fleeced by the Nasaka near the border fence.

A village elder said, “The Nasaka will collect all the cost for fencing the border area from Rohingya villagers.”

The Rohingya boat-people issue in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh, was highlighted, especially, after some Rohingya boat-people were set adrift in the ocean by the Royal Thai Naval forces with little food and water without engine and oars in January and February 2009.  Regarding this, most Rohingya boat-people died in the sea and some were rescued by the India Navy. After that, the Burmese military junta abruptly decided to erect barbed wire fences on Burma-Bangladesh border despite facing acute financial crisis.