Authorities in Maungdaw organize Rohingyas to send to Malaysia by boat

RB News 

August 18, 2013

Maungdaw, Arakan - The authorities in Maungdaw Township of Arakan State are organizing local Rohingyas, to send them to Malaysia by boat. The boat is scheduled within days. 

SB (Special Branch) police Aung Kyaw Zin, SaRaPha (Military Security) Sergeant Kyi Han, Tin Tun, a member of Human Trafficking prevention group and Aley Than Kyaw village administrator Maung Thet Naing are reportedly involved in the organization of the local Rohingyas. They are organizing them in the villages of Maungdaw South over the past three days. 

As movement and several restrictions are imposed on Rohingyas in Arakan State, many Rohingyas are facing various difficulties just to survive. Since last year, the local authorities are heavily engaging in human trafficking. They plan to wipe out all Rohingyas from Arakan State. The method they are using is hitting two birds with one stone. They can wipe out Rohingyas from Arakan and they can earn a lot at the same time.

According to locals, a big boat is on standby nearby Saint Martin Island in Bangladesh. Up to now about 300 Rohingyas are already organized by the authorities for the upcoming trip. They are trying to organize about 1000 Rohingyas. 

Since the violence broke out in Arakan in last year June, more than 13000 Rohingyas left from Arakan by boat, according to the figure of UNHCR. The risky journeys left at least 500 dead. 

The traffickers, the local authorities, are charging 250,000 kyat to 300,000 kyat for the journey to Malaysia. The people will have to join the big boat standby near to Saint Martin by small boat from villages. 

As the journey has high risk for lives and very dangerous for the people, the local Rohingyas want that the central government to stop the human trafficking business by local authorities. The local Rohingyas even want to stop the upcoming journey planned by the authorities.