Kaladan News

Dated: Tuesday August 19, 2003

Money Extorted From Farmers for Model Village

Buthidaung, August17:  The Buthidaung Township Peace

and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman had extorted

Kyat 250,000/-from five farmers under the pretext of

establishing a model village for Buddhist settlers,

according to our correspondent.

On August 9, 2003, by the order of TPDC Chairman, a

survey team headed by an officer named San Mya Kyaw

went to the village of Nanragoon in Buthidaung

Township of Arakan State and made a field survey of

the farmland measuring about 22 acres to establish a

model village for the new settlers, he further added.

Then the TPDC had seized a total of 22 acres of

farmland belonging to five Rohingya farmers of the

village as follows: 4 acres from Mohamed Yunus, son of

Fayas, 3 acres from Mohamed Tayub, son of Golam

Hussain, 4.6 acres from Farid Ullah, son of Gulam

Hussain, 6 acres from Abul Hussain, son of Hussain and

4.4 acres from Gura Meah, son of Hussain, a villager

said to our source.

After a few days, when the five farmers approached to

the Chairman of the TPDC with request to spare their

farmland from the project of the model village, the

victims had to pay a bribe of Kayats 250,000/- in

demand for the purpose, he further said. ##

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