Maungdaw, Arakan State: No Rohingya businessmen were selected as central executive committee (CEC) members during the Maungdaw Trade Association’s annual meeting, held on February 26, a Rohingya businessman from Maungdaw said.
The trade association annual meeting was held in Daywanawdi hall and was organized by Trade Association Chairman, U Shwe Tha.
The administration officers who run the trade association have been a mix of Rakhine and Rohingya businessmen since it was organized in 1997. However, this year there are no Rohingya administration officers in the Trade Association, a member said.
Former CEC members of the Trade Association, who are Rohingya, were dismissed after am allegation of involvement the National Democratic Party for Development, which ran against the USDP in the 2010 election.
“The meeting organizer didn’t invite all the members of the Association and invited from a few rural areas, not from Maungdaw town municipal area.”
He said, “In the meeting, the former CEC didn’t declare Association’s financial statement and future plan.”
There are 5,000 Rohingya members and only 300 Rakhine members. In Maungdaw, most of the businessmen are Rohingya .
Anyone needing to go to Bangladesh must be a member of the trade association to get a business border trade passport. Three years ago the CEC of the Trade Association requested the authorities issue the pass only to travelers recommended by the Trade Association, a Rohingya elder said.
“New members need to pay 40,000 kyat. and 10,000 Kyat per head to renew their memberships. Most of Association fund came from Rohingya community,” the source said.
