Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force Nasaka arrested a man in Maungdaw for possession of a mobile phone in a continued campaign of harassment of Rohingya refugees, said a local school teacher who asked not to be named.
The latest arrest comes on the heels of dozens of similar detentions in the past week on allegations of smuggling, immigration violations and illegal possession of mobile phones.
Captain Shwe Zaar of the Nasaka camp in Maungdaw Township led a group of Nasaka officials to Kyan Khali village, where they arrested a man identified as Zubair, 30, on suspicion of owning an illegal Bangladeshi mobile phone, the teacher said.
Zubair was held at the Nasaka camp while officials searched his home, though no mobile phone was discovered.
Relatives of the detained man visited the Nasaka office and were ordered to hand over the phone, but they denied owning one. They were then instructed to provide money for his release, one of the relatives said.
The relative added that Nasaka knew he did not possess a mobile phone but that he had a relative living abroad and therefore might have access to money.
Most of the arrested Rohingyas have relatives in foreign countries and are believed to be able to pay bribes for their release, the relative said.
Zubair was later released on October 29 after paying 50,000 kyats (about US$50).
A local trader said that Nasaka’s practice of extorting bribes is one of many ways that authorities keep Rohingyas in dire poverty.
Source:http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2870:nasaka-use-campaign-of-extortion-against-rohingya-&catid=128:november-2010&Itemid=2
The latest arrest comes on the heels of dozens of similar detentions in the past week on allegations of smuggling, immigration violations and illegal possession of mobile phones.
Captain Shwe Zaar of the Nasaka camp in Maungdaw Township led a group of Nasaka officials to Kyan Khali village, where they arrested a man identified as Zubair, 30, on suspicion of owning an illegal Bangladeshi mobile phone, the teacher said.
Zubair was held at the Nasaka camp while officials searched his home, though no mobile phone was discovered.
Relatives of the detained man visited the Nasaka office and were ordered to hand over the phone, but they denied owning one. They were then instructed to provide money for his release, one of the relatives said.
The relative added that Nasaka knew he did not possess a mobile phone but that he had a relative living abroad and therefore might have access to money.
Most of the arrested Rohingyas have relatives in foreign countries and are believed to be able to pay bribes for their release, the relative said.
Zubair was later released on October 29 after paying 50,000 kyats (about US$50).
A local trader said that Nasaka’s practice of extorting bribes is one of many ways that authorities keep Rohingyas in dire poverty.
Source:http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2870:nasaka-use-campaign-of-extortion-against-rohingya-&catid=128:november-2010&Itemid=2
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