A Glance Into The Miseries Of Rohingya Farmers

A GLANCE INTO THE MISERIES OF ROHINGYA FARMERS 

(A letter from a Rohingya farmer in Arakan) 

Mohammed Sadek 

May 11, 2013

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supervised a project in the village of Gawra Khali, southern Maungdaw, for the development of poorly living population around the area. The project started on 7th January 2010 and was a gutter project amidst the mountain nearby the village aimed for summer rice cultivation. Some farmers lost around 50 acres of land in the construction of the drainage. However, the farmers didn’t protest as the project was meant to benefit all the farmers in the region. 

An agreement to compensate an acre of land for cultivation to each of the farmers losing their lands and to let them enjoy the fish that would be bred in the drain was made during the beginning of the project. Subsequently, a committee comprising the following members was set up in order to look after the drainage. 

(1) Zubair son of Ezhar, Chuang Taung/Ghorakali, Nasaka Area-8 

(2) Akhtar Hussein S/o Kala Mia, Chaung Taung village tract 

(3) Zahir S/o Yunus, Chaung Taung 

(4) Fayazur Rahman, S/O Abdu Subhan, Chaung Taung village tract 

(5) Rahmat Ullah, S/o Yusuf Ali, Chaung Taung village tract 

(6) Nur Mohammed S/o Mostak Ahmed, Chaung Taung village tract 

(7) Fayazu, S/o Basa Miah, Chaung Taung village tract 

(8) Zubair S/o Yunus, Chaung Taung village tract 

(9) Momtazul Haq @ Jubbu S/o Mohammed Hashim, Myint Lwet village tract 

(10) Ferozul Haq, S/O Abdur Rahmam, Myint Lwet village tract 

(11) Sayed Alam, Myint Lwet village tract 

The drain was built for the benefits of the farmers who lost their land and other farmers in the region. According to FAO and the policy behind the project, service charges of Kyat 2000 against 1 acre of land for the digging of drainage are to be paid by the farmers. 

Yet, the three puppets of the NaSaKa (Border Security Force) Commander of the Area (8)- 

(1) Maung Taazul Haque @ Jabbu S/o Mohammed Hashim from Mer Ullah (Myint Hlut) 

(2) Ferozul Haque S/o Abdurrahman from Mer Ullah (Myint Hlut) 

(3) Syed Alam S/o Ex-Clerk in the village administration of Mer Ullah (Myint Hlut) - are forcing the committee members of the project to forcibly collect at least Kyat 60,000 against 1 acre of land from the villagers with the back-up of the NaSaKa commander. The amount is simply too unbearable for the poor villagers. 

During this farming time, huge irregularity and open discriminations with bribery are being exercised to extort money from the poorly living people. Nasaka forces are seriously involved in forcing people towards extreme poverty and vulnerability. 

Besides, the three puppets of the NaSaKa commander mentioned above are hugely involved in destabilizing the region and the creation of violence. We plead the higher authority of Myanmar to properly investigate the matter and take necessary actions.