Narinjara news
Mutual Inspection of
the creeks of the Naaf River
between Bangladesh and Burma
Maungdaw, 20th March 02: On the 9th March, the battalion commander level
inspection of the creeks of the River Naaf was
mutually conducted by the Bangladeshi and Burmese border security forces, according to an unnamed surveyor in the Township
Survey Department of Maungdaw, the western border
town of Arakan (Rakhine State) in Burma.
The Burmese side consisting of six members of the Nasaka
border security forces was led by the Nasaka Area 7
Commander, Major Min Swe
Myint. The
The joint inspection team began their trip from Nasaka
Area No. 4 (Leikra Headquarters) at 10 in the morning
and checked Bilachari creek, Byaing
(Bagarbil) island, and another newly formed
island on the Bangladesh side where the Bangladesh side allegedly
attempted to build dams previously, and which according to the source
were pulled down.
While the BDR side demanded the inspection of the Dabfari
creek in Kyigyun (Crow) Island (where the Burmese
side started constructing a cross dam at the beginning of 2001, resulting in a
tense situation in the area in the face of a strong protest by the Bangaldesh side), the Burmese side was able to tactfully
divert the attention of the Bangladesh side on that matter,
it was learnt.
Previously Brigadier Gen. Maung Oo, the commander of the Western Command,
visited Kyi Gyun on 21st
February 2002 and told the residents there that there would be a cross
dam built shortly on the River Naaf. Kyi Gyun Island is a strategically important island for both
Burma and Bangladesh because the common border between the two countries along
the Naaf River is decided according to the direction
of current flowing down from the island, while the shape of the island often
changes during the monsoons when flash flood from upriver either erodes or
fills up the shoreline of the island. #