In Maungdaw Township, situated on the western border of Rakhine State, canned sardines intended as relief aid for cyclone-affected individuals, were illicitly re-sold by the Border Guard Forces (BGF), according to local witnesses.
According to witnesses near a convenience store in Ward No. 4 of Maungdaw, on the afternoon of June 4th, members of the Border Guard Forces (BGF) ,allied to the Military Council, arrived in a vehicle and allegedly sold donated canned sardines , intended as relief items for victims of the recent storm.
A local who declined to be named told Narinjara, "I witnessed BGF members loading a police truck with canned sardines near the store close to my residence, and they proceeded to sell them. It was evident that they didn't want to be seen carrying the cans in public, so they discreetly brought them into their house. Actually they are engaging in the sale of relief aid items.”
It is unclear which BGF battalion sold the canned sardines at the store. Eyewitnesses clearly accused BGF members in muftis, of selling canned sardines in a car full of them.
"I am unaware of the specific BGF battalion to which these members belong. I witnessed them unloading the cans from their car, transferring them onto trolleys, and taking them inside the compound. It is disheartening to see them exploit the relief materials that were intended to be distributed among the affected Rakhine people. This is especially distressing considering the hardships faced by the storm-affected individuals during that time”, the aforementioned local added.
In addition, there are reports of similar instances of profiting from relief supplies in other areas of Rakhine State. U Aung Thaung Shwe, a former Pyithu Hluttwaw (House of Representatives) MP representing Buthidaung Township, emphasized that such actions are both unethical and inhumane, particularly during a period when the people are already enduring significant suffering.
"From any perspective, this is an act that should never be carried out. Donated supplies ought to be distributed to those who are truly in need at this critical time. Engaging in exploitation like this is utterly distasteful and vulgar”, he criticized.
U Aung Thaung Shwe added that considering the Military Council's announcement regarding its commitment to taking strong measures against those exploiting relief aid meant for the storm-affected people, it remains to be seen whether concrete actions will be taken in response to this incident.
"It is extremely disheartening to witness such disgraceful and unethical exploitation being conducted by authorities or affiliated organizations handling governmental responsibilities. With the overwhelming evidence available, those responsible should be held accountable through prosecution. It is imperative that actions taken against such cases are conducted with utmost transparency”, he said.
Narinjara attempted to reach out to Rakhine State Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura to obtain his perspective on this issue, but we were unable to establish contact with him.
It has been over 20 days since the devastating Cyclone Mocha struck Rakhine State, and a majority of the local population has yet to receive any assistance from the Military Council. As a result, they are grappling with immense hardships. Meanwhile, it is disheartening to observe that organizations such as BGF, which are affiliated with the authorities, are profiting by selling the very relief supplies meant to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims.
