March 16, 2009
Torture kills one injures another
Maungdaw, Arakan State: Military Intelligence or Sarapa arrested and tortured two brothers on false charges of selling amphetamine (WY) tablets or Yaba tablets from their medicine store in Maungdaw on March 5. After being released one died and another is in a critical condition, according to a shopkeeper in Maungdaw.
The two brothers are; Ziabul Haque (22) and Abu Taher (40), son of Abu Bakar from Zedi Pyin of Shweza Village Track of Maungdaw township.
Sarapa of Maungdaw, called the two brothers when they were going home from the market, and charged them with selling drugs from their medicine store, according to an aide of the Sarapa.
However, the arrestees denied their involvement in drugs business. So, they were kept at the Detention Center of Sarapa, with inadequate supply of food and the Sarapa did not allow their relatives to see them or to supply food. They were kept in camp till March Zaibul and Taher were taken to the Sarapa office and kept in the camp till March 11 where they were tortured day and night.
The Sarapa searched their shop and home, but could not find any illegal medicine or amphetamine or Yaba tablets.
After interrogation, when Sarapa did not find proof that the two brothers were drug smugglers they asked for 3.5 million Kyats for their release, said a close relative.
On March 11, the family members gave the money demanded to the concerned Sarapa, The two brothers were released, but they were unable to walk following torture.
They were sent to Maungdaw General Hospital for treatment, but, the doctor in-charge told family members that the two were in a critical condition and needed a better hospital to save them, according to relative.
So, the family members tried to send them to Chittagong for treatment, but, the doctor did not issue any medical report to proceed for their journey to Chittagong and the border trade agency didn’t issue passports without the report.
On March 14, they left Maungdaw, following an understanding with the Nasaka outpost, but Zaibul died after arriving in Teknaf, Bangladesh in the evening. At night, they crossed the Naf River again and went to Maungdaw from Bangladesh said a relative who came with them.
The body was buried in Maungdaw Town, after Namaz-e-Zanaza at about 11:00 am at maungdaw Idgha midan (field). About 4,000 villagers participated in his Namaz-e-Zanaza.
A close relative of the victim said, “Taher loss his younger brother, money and also he (Taher) is paralyzed in critical condition.”
In northrnArakan only the Rohingya community is charged with fabricated cases when the authorities want to extort money from someone. Zaibul and his brother were victims of this system. Some become paralyzed, fall ill or die, said a school teacher.
One of the village elders on seeing the body said, “There were many marks on his body. He was severely tortured, while he was in the Sarapa’s custody. They were released when they were almost dying.”
People of the Rohingya community, are often killed by the Nasaka (Burma’s border security force), the Sarapa and the Police indiscriminately.
Rohingya youths are often arrested and allegedly tortured and killed. Regarding the matter, no action was taken against the concerned authority, said another village elder requesting not to be named##
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Kaladan News
March 16, 2009
Fisherman dies at Nasaka Headquarters
Maungdaw, Arakan State: A fisherman died at the Nasaka Headquarters of Kyigan Pyin in Maungdaw Township, after he was injured in firing by the Nasaka on March 6, and was brought to the Nasaka headquarters for medical treatment, according to a family member.
The victim has been identified as Idris (35), son of Amir Hussain, and hailed from Shwe Zaar village tract of Maungdaw Township, Arakan State.
On February 26, at about 5;00 am, Burma’s border security force, Nasaka, shot dead two Rohingya fishermen and injured two others, while they were waiting on the river bank of Khair Para riverside, to load logs into row boats. The logs belonged to the Nasaka, said one of the fishermen, who managed to escape.
On that day, Nasaka of area No. 6 called some fishermen from nearby villages of Doliya Para, Bakar Gona, Kayan Khali and Shwe Zarr to load some logs into row boats to sell it in Bangladesh.
Therefore, some fishermen from the said villages had gone to the river bank, for loading the logs into boats.
On seeing the fishermen, two Rakhine villagers from a nearby village, who were going there to catch crabs from the river, immediately went to the Nasaka Headquarters and told them that there were some robbers on the river bank from Bangladesh. Hearing this, a group of Nasaka personnel, from the Headquarters, left for the spot. But, before reaching the spot, from a distance, the Nasaka fired on the fishermen indiscriminately hoping that they were robbers, while the fishermen were talking to each other, a schoolteacher said.
Two of the fishermen, Shoffi Ullah (18), son of Sayed Hussain and Nurul Islam (34), and son of Monu, died on the spot. Both of them belonged to Shwe Zarr village of Maungdaw Township, and two other brothers were injured, while the rest managed to escape. The two wounded fishermen, namely Idris and his younger brother were brought to Nasaka Headquarters, for medical treatment.
However, the incident happened without the knowledge of the Nasaka personnel of Nasaka area No.6. After being informed about the matter, the Nasaka personnel of area No. 6 did not speak on behalf of the fishermen.
No one dared to inform the higher authorities regarding the matter, for fear of harassment by the Nasaka.
The two bodies were sent to Maungdaw police station for necessary action. Later, the bodies were sent to their relatives and buried in their local graveyards.
On March 3, Idris, the wounded fisherman, also died at the Nasaka Headquarters and the body was handed over to his relatives for burial. Before his death, his relatives were not allowed to see him. Idris’s younger brother is still at the Nasaka headquarters. If the Nasaka was sincere, the wounded people would be sent to Maungdaw General Hospital, where capable doctors and equipments were present, a close relative of the victim said.
The Nasaka killed the innocent Rohingya fishermen, without any hesitation and fear. What the reasons behind the action were is still unknown, a local villager said. ##
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Kaladan News
March 16, 2009
Forced labor heightens in Northern Arakan for border fencing project
Maungdaw, Arakan State: Compulsory labor is on the rise in Northern Arakan for the boundary fencing project with Bangladesh, since March 6, a businessman from Maungdaw South said on condition of anonymity.
The concerned authorities have been building up stocks of cement bags, iron rods, iron chains and other necessary materials for the fencing, by carrying them by boat from Sittwe(Akyab) to Maungdaw Township. Besides, some workers (Rakhine and Rohingya), including engineers and masons were also brought to Maungdaw from Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State.
On March 5, the authority brought two bull-dozers to Maungdaw Town; one of them sank in the river near Nolbonia village, while crossing a river bridge. To pull out the bulldozer from the river, the authority forced nearby villagers to build a dam across the river to block the tide, so that the bulldozer could be prevented from turning rusty. Besides, all water pumps of the villages had been carried to the spot to pump out the water from the river. So, many villagers were forced to work on the river side, said another villager.
Some army personnel were also deployed in Maungdaw Township and they entered the villages and took away goats, fowls and vegetables from the villagers, without paying any money.
The villagers were asked to provide 15,000 bricks per village tract, from Maungdaw Township for fencing, a schoolteacher from the locality said.
Regarding the fencing, on March 14, an army officer from Military Operation Commands (MOC)-15 of Buthidaung Township visited Maungdaw Township and observed the fencing situation.
The authority has asked for laborers from villages through the VPDC members, to work for the project, to unload the cement bags and iron chains needed for the fencing, from the boats.
The concerned authority has ordered to provide laborers from nearby villages, to work daily for the project, where the authority would pay wages as per their work.
The project is being run by the Burmese border security force, or Nasaka and the local Arakanese people including Rohingya and Rakhine. They are going to build pillars with iron rods, cement and concrete.
The authority is going to fence from Anguemaw of Rathedaung Township to Amtahla of Maungdaw Township, through the bank of the Naff River on the Burmese side.
According to a village elder, forced labor will increase in future for fencing near the Burma-Bangladesh border. He also asked why the Burmese government was trying to fence the Burma-Bangladesh border, which required a lot of money, while it was facing a financial crisis. ##
KPN News Team
First News Agency dedicated for Rohingya Media
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