Arrested And Extorted For Not Buying Medicines From Township Doctor’s Pharmacy

June 20, 2014 

Maungdaw, Arakan – A Rohingya from Maungdaw Township in Arakan State was arrested and extorted for not buying medicine from the Township doctor’s pharmacy. 

On June 16, 2014, a Rohingya named Mahmed Johar S/o Saya Hashim from Myoma Kayindan village in Maungdaw Township was sick and he went for treatment from the township doctor, Dr. Kyaw Maung Maung Thein’s clinic, located in U Ottama Street. After getting treatment from Dr. Kyaw Maung Maung Thein he paid the consultation fees and got a list of medicines. Mamed Johar didn’t buy the medicines from Dr. Kyaw Maung Maung Thein’s pharmacy but instead bought them from another pharmacy. The decision to buy medicines from another pharmacist apparently angered Dr. Kyaw Maung Maung Thein. 

Once Dr. Thein came to know that Mamed would not buy the medicines from his pharmacy he informed the police that Mamed Johar had been very rude while getting treatment from him and he added that his phone was stolen. 

The police didn’t investigate the motives of Dr. Thein, but instead they arrested the patient Mamed Johar from Myoma Kayindan bazaar at 4 pm on that day. The police then extorted Kyat 300,000 and released him, according to a local. 

As the medicines prices are double at Dr. Thein’s pharmacy, most of the poor patients are buying from other pharmacies. It seems that Dr. Thein reported falsely and caused Mahmed’s arrest to frighten all the other patients not to buy medicines from other pharmacies.

MYARF contributed in reporting.