Burmese Intelligence Extorting Money From Rohingyas on Daily Basis

RB News

May 25, 2013

Maung Daw, Arakan - U Aung Kyaw Zin, an intelligence officer from Special Investigation Department (SaSaSa), has been extorting money from Rohingyas in Alay Than Kyaw, Southern Maung Daw, under the NaSaKa (Border Security Force) Commandment Area 7 on daily basis through various means. 

"Every week, every shop in the village of Alay Than Kyaw has to pay Kyat 1000 to his office as extortion money. Rohingyas from the surrounding villages are also suffering from similar tortures" said a local villager.

Yesterday (i.e. on 24.05.2013), he arrested and detained Mv. Abdu Shukkor S/o Shafikur Rahman accusing that his younger brother, Hefzur Rahman, from the village of Udaung, under NaSaKa commandment area 8, stayed illegally at his (Hefzur Rahman's) own mother-in-law's house in Alay Than Kyaw.

"The accused was someone and the arrested person was someone else. Mv. Abdu Shukkor was arrested while he was working in his farm. 

Even on half-way, he extorted Kyat 150,000 and released Mv. Abdu Shukkor on the guarantee of Mauzu Rahman, (ex-chairman of the village), the current license holder on Animal Slaughtering. These arbitrary arrests and extortion of money are going on everyday" he continued.

Besides, he went on search for U Rahimullah S/o U Nagu from the village of Zumma of Udaung village tract under the accusation of so-called Human Trafficking to Malaysia. He scolded and insulted the man's wife when he (the searched person) was not found at his home. 

"U Aung Kyaw Zin takes information from U Maung Mya, the father-in-law of U Tin Maung, the administrator of Udaung village, regarding which Rohingya in the village is how rich. Then, he makes up false cases and extorts money from the people" the villager added.

(Translated into English by Maung Aurther)