Rohingya Village Administrators Replaced with Rakhines

July 24, 2013

Maungdaw, Arakan - Residents of three villages worry of problems that will occur as their elected village administrators have been replaced by Rakhines.

On June, 2013, Maungdaw district administrator and township administrator went to Kyauk Pando, Wachaa and Gawdusara villages and appointed a head for every 10 houses. These head people appointed 5 commissioners and elected village administrators for each respected village. The elected were then trained by Township Administration. The names of the elected Village Administrators are:

(1) U Abdul Karim for Wachaa,
(2) U Rahim Ullah for Kyauk Pando and
(3) U Karim Ullah for Gawdusara. 

The replacement order, which ignores the election by the villagers, saw the appointment of:

(1) U Maung Maung Thein (resident of Mawrawaddy village) for Wachaa,
(2) U Kyaw Thein for Kyauk Pando and 

(3) U Tha Hla for Gawdusara. 

According to villagers, the replacement order has been made by Vice President Dr. Sai Mauk Kham.