Buthidaung, Arakan State: Villagers in northern Arakan have been undergoing tremendous human rights violations under the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) authorities. In short, they are in a very risky position in Arakan State, a politician from Arakan, who declined to be named, said.

 For instance, villagers of Khan Daung village have to do security duty for Nasaka (Burma's border security force) at night and they are unable to work during day time as they have not slept at night. So, they are deprived of the means to support their family members. Besides, they are tortured and money is extorted from them by false allegations by the Nasaka and police, while they patrol the village at night.

 Moreover, the villagers of Buthidaung Township have to provide logs twice a month, per family for baking bricks and also have to provide one kg of chicken in 15 days, per family. Villagers have to provide laborers for tilling land and growing paddy for the concerned authorities, especially for the army and Nasaka. The villagers even have to lend their bulls for tilling the land, according to a local village elder.  

 There is another strange thing that happens in the village. Every day about 20 to 30 villagers of Maung Nama village tract of Maungdaw Township go to Village Peace and Development Council Chairman Zubair's house to guard him as his elder brother was killed by the villagers for his notorious deeds. So, the younger brother, Zubair, fears that the villagers might kill him too. The order to guard him has been given by Nasaka Headquarters, as he has good relations with the Director of Nasaka Headquarters.

 Police from Buthidaung Town have been to villages with motor boats at night and surrounded a house that has money. The police then arrested the owner under false charges. After that police demanded Kyat 200,000 to 500,000 for his release. If the victim did not provide the money, he was brought to the police station. He was not released until the police got the money.  If the police did not find male, they brought female to their police station and harassed her in custody. There was no legal formality involved.

 If the villagers inform the concerned authorities, about such atrocities, they pay no heed.  So the villagers are compelled to bribe the authorities for their release. Due to this kind of harassment, the police may become richer but the Rohingya villagers are becoming poorer day by day, a local trader said, requesting not to be named.

 In addition, the army, Nasaka and police and other law enforcing personnel often enter the Rohingya villages on the pretext of an enquiry. While searching the houses of the Rohingyas, they either assault the Rohingya womenfolk or take away those who look beautiful. The Rohingyas are often compelled to provide rice, goats, fowls, etc., free of cost for the Nasaka, army and the police outposts. In what is called modern-day slave labor, they are forced to provide free labor for the construction of different roads and accommodation facilities for the government forces.