Kaladan News

Dated: Sunday, August 10, 2003.

SPDC Recruiting Villagers For Short-term Military Training

Maungdaw, August 10: The local SPDC authorities in Arakan State are recruiting villagers for short-term military training in Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships, according to our correspondent.

Members of Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) in Arakan State went round the villages in their townships, called meetings, and enlisted the villagers to attend the military training. They registered youths of 18 to 25 years old, source further added.

About 1,560 Rakhine from Maungdaw and I, 300 from Buthidaung Townships were recruited. The total Rohingya recruits are estimated to be 500 that also are from Buthidaung Township only, said two village Peace and Development Council members of Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships preferring not to mention their names.

 The recruits have been imparted a short-term military training by Battalion Nos.551, 234 and 352 from 17 July until August 27, sources further added.

All the village Chairmen and Secretaries of both townships had already completed a 10 day short-term officer training, from July 17 to July 27, in Maungdaw and Buthidaung
TPDC’s offices. They had to attend the training from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, said a village Chairman to our source.

Under those trained village Chairmen and Secretaries to recruit and impart short-term military training by themselves to another 150 villagers 18 to 45 years old in each township, he further added.

Similarly, the villagers in many other townships in Arakan State are forced to attend the short term military training, sources said.

This kind of short-term military training has reportedly been conducted in most parts of the country, which aims to divert the attention of the people from Depeyin incident. But the Military regime says that this is to protect the country from external aggression, said a local senior politician. ##

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