Six officers demanded 10,000 kyats from Syed Alam, who was driving the vehicle that left for southern Maungdaw where many displaced and poor Rohingya are living .

The police were taking advantage of the fact that both the driver and the owner were Rohingya to collect money, the transport owner said.

Syed Alam explained to the officers that the vehicle was being contracted by the WFP to carry foods for an aid program for impoverished villagers from Maungdaw south, and can’t pay the money.

The officers beat the driver until he lost consciousness, according to another driver that witnessed the attack.

After hearing about the attack the commanding officer for Hluntin battalion 13 in southern Maungdaw rushed to the scene. Syed Alam was brought to the Myinn Hlut Health center, according to a police aide of Hluntin that didn’t want his name used. The driver got the best treatment possible, added the aide. However the commanding officer wouldn’t let anyone visit Syed Alam, or let him leave.

This kind of abuse at the hands of all the state security forces is common, said Kamal (not his real name) from Maungdaw south. They station themselves on roads, bridges and outpost camps so they can extort money from the Rohingya community.

There are more than 15 such collection points along the Maungdaw to southern Maungdaw highway. A Rohingya that travels on this road can expect to pay between 2000 to 5000 kyat. Vehicle owners have to pay more than 10,000 kyat, and this also may include gas, wine, cigarette and money.

How can we survive living under this corrupt system, asked Sadek (not his real name), who is politician in Maungdaw.

Their senior officers and Maungdaw authorities are often oblivious to the levels of corruption that is rampant along the highway and targeted at the Rohingya community, the politician said.