Maungdaw, Arakan State: Commander Major Thet Naing of Burma’s border security force, the Nasaka of area No.4 in Maungdaw Township is now controlling the rice market in Maungdaw north by not allowing anybody to sell rice in the local market, said a local trader.
He stopped rice traders in Maungdaw north recently, who were earlier involved in rice trading. They used to buy rice from Maungdaw town and sold it in Maungdaw north. Recently, the commander along with some of his collaborators started buying rice from Maungdaw town and selling it to villagers in Maungdaw north.

They buy the rice at the rate of Kyat 11,000 to 12,000 per bag of 50 kilograms from Maungdaw town and sell it to villagers in Maungdaw north at the rate of Kyat 17,000 per bag, the trader added.

A villager from Maugdaw north said, “Earlier, we could buy a kilogram of rice at Kyat 250, but, now we have to buy kilogram at Kyat 350 as the rice market is being controlled by the commander.”

Sometimes, the concerned authorities control rice even from Buthidaung, Rathedaung Townships and Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State. Therefore the price of rice is skyrocketing in Maungdaw Township because the town relies on the rice from Sittwe and other towns, given rice production in Maungdaw Township is insufficient for the people of the township.

A farmer from Maungdaw town said, “Nasaka is not supposed to do business in rice. Their prime duty is security. They are into business because the salary they get is inadequate to maintain their families. So, they try to earn money by any means disregarding the law and regulation of the army.”

Most of the business ventures in Maungdaw and Buthidaung are controlled by the authorities such as Nasaka, the army Sarapa (Military Intelligence) among others with their collaborators.

If any villager wants to start a business, he has take permission from concerned authorities. The authorities have to be made a partner in the business without it investing, said a businessman from Maungdaw on condition of anonymity.

For the villagers there is no work because there are no industries. Their only option is cultivation.

It is learnt that most of the Nasaka officers or army commanders have become millionaires in Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships by starting business ventures with their collaborators or by extorting money from villagers.