KALADAN NEWS

Dated: March 26, 2005

 

Military Order Villagers Erecting Fences in Northern Arakan

 

Maungdaw, March 26: Village tracts of Maungdaw north in Northern Arakan, Burma, bordering with Bangladesh are ordered to erect fences by military, said a villager from Taungbro left without stating his name.

 

In the first week of this month, some military officers called the Village Peace and Development Council, or VPDC Chairmen, secretaries and some villagers in high school at Taungbro and ordered them verbally to erect fences all the village tracts of northern side of Maungdaw town immediately without any shilly-shallying, he further added.

 

Now, some village tracts from Kyun Pauk Pyu Su (Kya Maung) to Taungbro (within nine village tracts) of the Maungdaw north have been finished erecting  fences and some other villages are busy to complete the task, while the villagers are compelled to provide all kinds of fencing materials such as bamboo, pillars, iron wire and etc.

 

Although some VPDC members made a request to concerned authorities for financial help but got threatening instead of assistance.

 

“We have nothing to do against the brutal behavior of ruling authorities as no one is helping us for our safety”, said a Rohingya villager from Kyun Pauk Pyu Su village who refused to be named for security reason.

 

According to another villager, fencing is another policy of persecution. At present, the movement is highly restricted again than before. The government is increasing persecution despite to develop the border areas.

 

Villagers are still unknown the reason of sudden order of military for erecting fences around the villages. I, myself saw that the villagers were so busy in erecting fences, said Doilla, an eyewitness, a Bangladeshi businessman who recently visited Taungbro Bazaar.

On 21st February 2005, a 3-member delegation from ILO was on a 4-day visit to Burma to evaluate progress on ending forced labor in the country. But, the delegation left on 23rd February because of bewildering circumstances between ILO delegation and SPDC.  ##

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