KALADAN NEWS

Dated: Sunday, January 18, 2004

How Long Curfew would be continued!! Continued Curfew Paralyses Movement of Rohingyas in Northern Arakan

Maungdaw, Jan-18: The continued curfew paralyses the movement of Rohinyas in northern Arakan State, Burma, according to a trader from Maungdaw town.

SPDC authorities have been imposing dark to down curfew on Rohingyas in Maungdaw Town, Arakan State, after the arson attack to a mosque, which was happened in Maungdaw town on November 4, 2003, he further said.

Earlier, the time of curfew was framed from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am but later it has been reduced from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am. Although they officially reduced the curfew time, police maintain the previous hours. Out of the curfew hours, SPDC authorities launch their policemen across the town and while they find any Rohingya at about 8:00 pm, they are picked up and brought to a solitary place and detained them temporary there. After 10:00 pm they were again brought to the police station with the allegation of not compliance with curfew, said an elderly man from the town.

For instances, one Royis Ahmad, 24, son of Abu Taher (well known by goldsmith-Shwe Hla Aung) was arrested by police on first week of January 2004, while he was coming out from the United Video hall of Maungdaw town after the end of show at about 8:00 pm by accusing him not compliance of curfew. After that he was brought to a solitary place and kept under open sky in the cold season without clothes. At about 10:00 pm he was again brought to the police station and detained. The next day morning, he was asked to pay 15 bags of cement or Kyat 50,000 for his release. However, he was set free after bribing said quantity of cement bags, he further added.

Similarly, on January 12, police at about 8:15 pm arrested Abu Naser, 25 from Hla Baw Zarr Village of Maungdaw Township, while he was returning from the jetty of Maungdaw town after failing to catch the passenger boat, which is plying from Maungdaw to his village. He was also accused not to comply with the curfew and brought him to the police station and detained there. He was also released after giving Kyat 50,000 to the police, the next day, said a relative of the victim.

The person who is unable to fulfill their demands, he should be detained in police custody. For these people, authorities format some works within their camps without food and financial assistance as criminals. There, each sentry plays their games with arrested person as their toys and soccer ball so as to have instant money, he further mentioned.

A trader said, “At present, though there is no tense situation prevailing between two sister communities of Arakan (Rakhaing and Rohingya), but the concerned authorities maintain continuation of curfew to harass the Rohingya people only”. ##

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