Kyauk Pru: A highly placed army officer has been transporting Muslim people to Rangoon from Arakan State in army vehicles in lieu of large bribes, said a sergeant who did not wish to be named.

"Muslim people in Arakan State are unable to travel to Burma proper from Arakan without permission from higher authorities. The army officer takes the opportunity to make money and sends them to Rangoon in army vehicles after taking bribes from them," he said.

The officer taking the bribes was identified as Lieutenant-Colonel Thaung Hteik Oo, Commander of Light Infantry Battalion 542 based in Kyauk Pru, the second largest city in Arakan.

"He sent seven Muslim people by army vehicles last month after taking one million kyat from each traveller. Some officers in the battalion revealed the incident to others after becoming dissatisfied with their commander's misbehaviour," the source said.

Another army source said that sometimes army officers bring Muslims to Rangoon by dressing them in army uniforms in order to get them past immigration checkpoints along the road without being arrested.

In the past, the commanders, who served in the battalion also used this method of transporting Muslim residents to Rangoon by taking large bribes.

In Kyauk Pru there are over 3,000 Muslim residents, but the authorities do not allow them to travel to Burma proper from the town. Because of this, they have to use such means as bribing army officers to transport them to Rangoon illegally.