Kaladan News

Dated: Sunday, December 21, 2003.

FURTHER RESTRICTION IMPOSED ON THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF THE ROHINGYA

Buthidaung, Dec. 21: Recently, the SPDC authorities have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of the Rohingyas in northern Arakan, according to our correspondent.

For traveling from Buthidaung to Maungdaw, a distance of 16 miles within the same locality, a Rohingya has to obtain recommendation first from Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) paying Kyat 200, then Form 4, (which is normally used for foreigners) with recommendation from Township Immigration Office paying Kyat 500. After that he has to approach with all these papers and recommendations, to the Nasaka transit camp at the gate of Buthidaung town for its permission paying Kyat 200. Finally, he has to appear before the offices of TPDC and DPDC submitting all the relevant papers and recommendations for approval by paying bribes of Kyat 500 and Kyat 200 respectively, he further added.

In return journey, he has to pay Kyat 200 at the District Immigration office of Maungdaw. For staying one night at Maungdaw he has to pay Kyat 500 to the Maungdaw Nasaka check post, 3 miles off the Maungdaw town, and another Kyat 500 to the Buthidaung Nasaka transit camp, said a businessman.

Thus, a person has to pay a total of Kyat 2,800 to get permission for a round-trip from Buthidaung to Maungdaw and, vice versa, without any other expenses, he further added.

For one-month resident permit, one has to pay Kyat 15,000 to the Nasaka check post of Maungdaw. If any traveler is found to have not complied with the order he is imprisoned for six months with hard labor.

Muslim Rohingyas are not allowed to go to other towns of Arakan including Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, following the communal riots that broke out between the two major ethnic peoples of Rohingya and Rakhiang. These riots were incited and used as a weapon by SPDC to odd the ethnic unity.

N.B: The persons who made the statements to our correspondent live inside Burma and requested to withhold their names for fearing of persecution.