Rude Behaviour From Security Personnel Accompanying Enumerators In Buthidaung

RB News 

March 31, 2014

Buthidaung, Arakan – The security personnel accompanying the enumerators in Buthidaung Tonwship were very rude, according to locals.

Today the census conducting continued at the village tracts of Watma Kya, Paung Taw Pyin, Say Owe Kya, Wa Ra Kyun, Nga Kyi Daut, Guphi, Guda Pyin, Kyar Nyo Pyin, Thein Taung Pyin in Buthidaung Township of Arakan state. 

The census enumerators asked at least 50 household heads to gather in one house. Once they began they firstly asked the names and second question they asked was the ethnicity. As everyone answered that they are Rohingya, the enumerators stopped asking the questions then. Although they have noted the names of the people, they did so in school writing books and not on the official census forms. In some places the enumerators asked the ethnicity at the doors of the homes and left when the respondents said that they were Rohingya. 

The police who were accompanying the enumerators were very rude and they have used several scolding words while conducting the census. 

“The police were very rude. When we claimed Rohingya, they said “Lee [Penis] Rohingya, don’t you understand that there are no Rohingya in Myanmar? Don’t you understand you can’t write Rohingya here?” They kick the doors, show us the guns and used several scolding words. They took photo of the people whoever claimed Rohingya. Indeed the event was intolerable but we tried our best not to happen anything but the police tried their best to create tension.” a Rohingya told RB News. 

Although the enumerators are against the Rohingyas and they didn’t even sympathize for not counting in the census, they had been served lunch at Rohingyas’ houses. This on top of the fact that the authorities robbed Kyat 2’000 from every household by the name of expenses for the enumerators.