Maungdaw, Arakan State: Sixteen houses were destroyed by Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) with the help of Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) in Maungdaw Township on September 26, over the allegation that the houses were built on farm lands, said a house owner whose house was destroyed by the authority.
These houses had been built at Shita Purika village of Maungdaw Township since 100 years ago on said land. But, recently, the SPDC authorities declared an order to destroy the houses which were built on farm land and collected the list of houses which were built on the farm land.
Regarding the order, the villagers did not comply with the order, so the Chairman of TPDC accompanied by some Nasaka from Inn Din Nasaka camp, went to the village on that day and destroyed the said houses by villagers, added the house owner.
But, the authority did not pay any compensation to the victims and mentioned no place where to go to re-build the houses. Therefore, the victims went nearby villages and stay at their relatives houses and make temporarily tents at their relatives’ compounds, said another villager preferring not to be named.
The houses were abolished by the authority while the rain has been falling cat and dog. As a result, the victims were facing acute difficulties in the rainy season. The authority concerned deliberately chose the rainy season to destroy the Rohingyas’ houses to suffer more trouble, said a local elder on condition of anonymity.
The concerned authorities always find new things to harass the Rohingya people at the intention of to flee the Rohingya people from their mother land, said a village elder.
The authorities have been threatening the villagers that any one who does not comply with the order he/she will be jailed for 7 years.
The owners of the destroyed houses are as follows: Serazul Hoque( 35), son of Islam, Abu Taher(33), son of Abdu Salam, Rofique(21), son of Skaker Mohamed, Sayed Ullah ( 29), Rahimullah (35), Sona Ullah (40), son of Jaffar Ahmed, Rashidullah (36), Eliyas (37), son of Nurul Hoque, Lal Meah (55), Mosi Ullah ( 50), Esaque (80), now he is in Buthidaung prison, Abdul Hashim (29), Hamid Hussain (35), son of Fazal Ahmed, Salaman (47), Salaman(2) (50), and Rashid Ahmed (51), son of Ahmed. They all belong to Shita Purika village, said one of the house owners.
