Narinjara news
Burmese Muslims
flee western Burma to escape food scarcity
caused by forced collection of rice and travel restrictions
Maungdaw, 29 June 02: At least
thirty Burmese Muslims including women and children from Arakan State in the
western part of Burma have so far left their ancestral settlement for want of
food in the area caused by the oppressive measures of the ruling State Peace
and Development Council junta, according to a councillor
in the area.
The artificial food crisis has been caused by the practice of forcefully buying
of large quantities of rice from the farmers without leaving behind enough for
their consumption by the name of “rice collection drive.” The village in
the southern part of
“In the last rice season, the amount of rice procurement by the SPDC junta was
far more than that of the year before. As a result very little was left
for the farmers’ consumption. Besides, the price paid for the rice was
also between 25% and 35% of the prevailing price,” a rice grower from the
village said.
Another problem for the villagers is the scarcity of work, as they are not
allowed to travel to even nearby villages for work unless a written permission
from the junta officials of at least three departments called “travel permit”
is obtained by bribe.
“There are more women than men in the village at present, and we are scratching
everywhere for a grain of rice to eat. But due to travel restrictions we
are confined in large prison-like villages from where we cannot go out even to
do menial labour in the nearby villages or town,” an elderly woman in the village
told our correspondent. “Our children are just like ‘bamboo sticks’
(skinny) without adequate nourishment, and at least twelve children and some
grown-ups have died because of diarrhoea and fever caused by lack of
nutrition,” the woman added.
Talking to a village elder there he said, “Crossing the border won’t give us
any solution since the neighbouring country is not willing to take us.
Though we are subjected to the worst human rights violations, not even being
allowed to earn our own livelihood, we won’t be considered as political
victims. Even in
Though SPDC junta do not recognize the citizenship of the Muslims of this
part of Arakan State, they will again come to collect rice forcefully this
coming rainy season too when rice is grown all over the land.
Although no one is pretty sure or willing to tell about where those people have
left, “without anywhere to move within