Authorities extort money from Rohingyas on baseless accusations

QS Madani 

RB News 

February 12, 2012 

(Edited by Anwar Arkani) 

Min Bya: Two truckloads of Rakhine hooligans, no less than 160 members, from Taunggup Township equipped with many kinds of weapons and swords sneaked into Min Bya Township in an attempt to launch a renewed vitriolic attack on the distressed Rohingya, on February 9, 2013. 

On that day, a Rohingya clergyman, Molvi Rahmatullah, from Naggara village tract (Fokseefara), Min Bya Township went to Feefarang market for shopping. Upon meeting him on the way some security forces from local battalion tortured him severely saying why he is a Molvi (clergyman). Then they threw him at the roadside unconscious. 

There are about 120 Rohingya families in Faktalee hamlet, Min Bya Township. They own more than 60 acres of paddy fields which was their sole livelihood. Since the massacre in June 2012, Rakhine looters have forcefully harvested all the lands and did not allow any rightful owner to harvest an iota of rice on their filed. So, for these people only mean to survive is biscuits and dry food donated by occasional NGO visits, and they are in imminent danger of dying from starvation. 

Buthidaung: A Rohingya, Mohammed Jaber s/o Sayed Akbar from Thein Daung Pyin village tract, Buthidaung Township, was extorted Kyat 450,000 by Nasaka sub-camp No. (21) on February 8th on a groundless accusation of possessing mobile phone. 

On February 6, Rakhine terrorists set fire on the house of Molvi Mahbub Rahman s/o Ashraf Meah, 59, from Thein Daung Pyin village tract, Buthidaung Township. The house was burnt into ashes. Surprisingly, the police arrested the victim the next morning accusing him for not reporting the incident, and extorted 4 million Kyats. 

Abu Tayub s/o Sayed Noor and Nurul Hoque s/o Abu Sufiyan, from Shaeerkunda village tract, Buthidaung Township, were extorted Kyat 100,000 each on February 6th by immigration officials. These two persons were accused of going to Bangladesh. 

And another 100,000 Kyats is extorted from Usman Ghani s/o Kalimullah from Shaeerkunda village tract, Buthidaung Township by Military personnel from battalion (346) under a baseless accusation of possessing a mobile phone. 

On the same day, the military personnel from battalion (345) extorted 5,000 Kyats respectively from each of the following persons: 

(1) Zakaria s/o Abul Kalam 

(2) Numan s/o Daleel Ahmed 

(3) Nurul Ameen s/o Abul Kaseem 

(4) Abdul Kader s/o Mohammed Saeed 

They are from Shaeerkunda village tract, Buthidaung Township. They are being accused of possessing mobile phones. Military personnel from the aforesaid battalion have extorted much more money from hundreds of Rohingyas with the same accusation.