Narinjara news

BORDER SECURITY FORCES LOOT BUFFALOES FROM FARMERS

Maungdaw, 21^st June 02 : The Area # 7 Nasaka Border Security Forces Headquarters at north of Arakan State in Burma seized six buffaloes from five farmers on 9^th June, as told by a Village councillor of the area.

Corporal Myo Myint from Goduthara Nasaka camp while patrolling near Rwathaik-kye village met five villagers bringing six buffaloes from nearby village to use them in tilling their agricultural land. As soon as the villagers came near the patrol party, the corporal ordered to shoot blank shots to frighten the villagers.

On hearing the blank shots from the rifles of the Nasaka forces, the villagers got alarmed and left the spot for fear of life.

Later, the Nasaka forces seized the buffaloes by alleging that, the villagers were bringing them to smuggle out into Bangladesh and took them to Nasaka Area 7 Headquarters at Alaythan-gyaw under Maungdaw Township.

On inquiry our correspondent from Maungdaw came to know that, during the rainy seasons, buffaloes and cattle are used to plough the rice fields, as there is no mechanized cultivation in the entire Arakan State. The farmers need to get written permission from the local administrative bodies including the Nasaka to move the cattle from one village to another.

Rwathaik-kye village is under the Goduthara village tract and the farmers were already issued with permission for bringing the buffaloes. But in this occasion, the councillors of Goduthara helped the Nasaka forces to loot the buffaloes from the farmers.

“It is not uncommon for Nasaka troops to loot our possessions including cattle by one-sidedly alleging that our cattle are meant for smuggling out into Bangladesh. While the real smugglers usually carry on their trade with the help of these Nasaka so-called border troops,” a farmer in the area told our correspondent. #