Narinjara news

MUSLIM VILLAGERS ARRESTED AS ANOTHER VILLAGER
ALLEGEDLY ROBS  A  BUDDHA  IMAGE

Buthidaung, 4 April 02:   Ten Muslim villagers were arrested  when they beat up a member of the Military Intelligence and a police constable who had been sent to Nghak-thay-braung  Muslim village, Buthidaung township in the western state of Burma for investigating the looting of a bronze Buddha image, according to our correspondent.

On 18 March, Zahid Hussein (12), son of Abul Hussein, cast his fishing net in the Nghak-thay-braung stream and allegedly found an extraordinary  Buddha image, height 4 inch.  On the way to the village, Ali Ullah (17), son of Mir Hussein, forcefully took the image away  from him.

Zahid Hussein then went to report the matter to the Military Intelligence Station 21, under Nasaka (security and immigration forces) Area No. 9.  The Military Intelligence sergeant, Thant Zaw Oo sent an MI corporal and a police constable to the area for further investigation and bringing the Buddha image along with them in case it was found. 

When the two came to the village they asked for the whereabouts of Ali Ullah.  As they did not find him in the village they got hold of his grandfather, Samir Ullah (70), whom they beat up mercilessly and asked about the whereabouts of his grandson.  The old man shouted for help as he was being beaten up.  Some of the villagers rushed out to help the old man and caught hold of the MI corporal and the police constable, beating them up in kind.  The policeman was able to escape and flee from the scene.

Later when the villagers were taking the MI agent to report to the Buthidaung police station as a robber, at Theing-daung village they came face to face with ‘the Rice-selling Encouragement Team’,  consisting of members of the police department and the department of agricultural produce.  The Muslim villagers handed over the MI man to the Rice Team.  At that moment the MI identified himself as a Nasaka security troops corporal to the Team. .

Then and there the said Team  released the corporal and arrested all the Muslim villagers present there.  Among the ten arrested are Samir Ullah (70), B. Ullah (30) son of Mia Hussein, and Mohammad Qasem(27) s/o Mia Hussein.  Though they have been kept under custody ever since no legal charges has yet been filed against them and the search for the runaway Ali Ullah and the alleged Buddha image is still going on.     #