Kaladan News

Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Arakan Rebel Leader Surrendered to Bangladesh Security Forces

Bandarban, August 31: A leader of the Democratic Party of Arakan (DPA), a rebel organization of Arakan State, Burma surrendered to the security forces of Bangladesh, according to a local newspaper.

On 28^th August 2004, the DPA leader, Ba Ohng Maung with his family surrendered to the security forces in Tarachha in Roangchhari upazila of Bandarban District of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, the paper further added.

When asked a villager, he said, “ The surrounded Ba Ohng Maung is a Bangladeshi not a Burmese national. But he worked with DPA for a long time.”

Ba Ohng Maung is famous in Tarachha and used to introduce himself as an indigenous man and collect tolls from the indigenous people and traders, villagers said.

The Burma-based rebel group has been operating criminal activity in Tarachha, Betchhara and some other areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts for some days, according to highly placed sources of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh security forces conducted separate drives in Tarachha and Betchhara to nab the criminals on 29^th August morning. However, details of the operations could not be known until the writing of the report, a villager of Bandarban said to our source.

The activity of several Burma-based rebel groups has increased in different parts of the districts. On August 19, 2004, local villagers caught three people in the act of collecting toll. They are Cha Sai Nu Marma, U Cha Pru Marma and Sanu Pru Marma and claimed they are indigenous people of Bandarban but could not proved their claim, a local newspaper said.

But local people said, “All three arrested members are indigenous people of Bangladesh. They were also the members of DPA.”

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) recovered eight rifles from Modok in Thanchi upazila of Chittagong Hill Tracts the same day, the paper further added. ##

For more information, please contact at:

Mobile: +880 11 227 138

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kaladanpress.org