NVC Issued to Rohingyas Illogical as Local Authorities Deny to Recognize, Locals Say

October 012, 2021

The National Verification Card (NVC) issued discriminately to Rohingyas by military council of Myanmar is illogical as the local authorities deny recognizing it for the documentation of Overnight Guest List (OGL), according to the locals from Maungdaw, Rakhine State.

Since the month of October, the police and the immigration officers have been conducting joint checks of OGL in the wards situated in Maungdaw town. The Rohingyas, who have been traveling to other villages for various reasons, need to report to the local authorities concerned for OGL, the locals said.

U Mamad Khan, a subordinate of U Hla Thein, the administrator of Myoma Taung ward, was one of the recipients of the guest list. He does not accept the guests with NVC and NRC (National Registration Card) but only with a letter of recommendation from the relevant village administrators.

In addition, the families, taken refuge in Myoma Taung fleeing their homes and communities in the aftermath of the 2017 violence, are subjected to a national census by the government every year in the ward.

As the families are being sought a letter of recommendation from the original village administrators when they go to report to U Mamad Khan about the guest list, they politely and helplessly said “Where do we get the letter while there are no administrators due to burning down of our villages during the violence?” 

Khan cunningly replied. “It doesn’t concern me. You are not from this village. I can only accept you when you can bring the letters of recommendation from your respective village administrators.”

Khan is a former broker of the township immigration office and has cleverly found out a way to extort money deceiving the poor Rohingyas. There is no word “HELP or COMPASSION” in his dictionary and he is ruthless, according to people close to him.

An activist said, “Rohingya Muslims obey the order of the government filing an overnight guest list. But local authorities do not recognize us with NVC issued by them under their government and even not with NRC issued by the government that recognized the Rohingyas.

“From this behavior, it is clear that the junta is just playing a game with us and international community by forcibly and discriminately issuing NCV to us. The intention of the coup military council is to uproot our community”  

During the reporting for OGL, the Administration Offices of Myoma Taung, Myoma Kayindan and Myoma West wards are charging the documentation fees but not much and U Zohar Hussein, the head of the Myoma East Ward, is collecting 5,000 kyat per household who migrated in his ward during the violence, said one of the migrants with the condition of anonymity.

Reported By: Maung Wunna

Edited by:  Md. Shuaib