Village Administrator Extorts 350,000 Kyat From Two Helpless Rohingya Lasses Released by Maungdaw Court

January 30, 2022

Two Rohingya lasses released from Maungdaw court have reportedly been extorted 350,000 Kyat by village administrator to give a chance of being checked during “Hswe-Tin-Si” done by Border Guard Police (BGP) and immigration in the northern part of Maungdaw, Rakhine State.

The original genocide policy of Rohingya Muslims “Hswe-Tin-Si” means checking Rohingya census to include newborn, to cut the name of family member who is absent during the check or to arrest the family member who comes back to the family.

In Rakhine State, the brutal killings by the Burmese authorities force Rohingya Muslims to flee abroad and many males and females are leaving the country by boats every year.  

Like others, Sufiya Begum, daughter of  Shofik Ahmad and Fatehma Khatun, daughter of Swe Tanu, both from Kyar Khaung Taung village, north of Maungdaw along with some people departed for Malaysia by a boat one day.

Unfortunately, the Burmese authorities chased and arrested all of the people in the boat in Myanmar water territory and brought them to Maungdaw Court, but the two girls, Sufiya and Fatehma were released on December 15 as they are not old enough to be jailed and have been living with relatives in their home village, said a local.

In January this year, the two lasses met with Kamal Hussein, the village administrator of Kyar Khaung Taung, to ask for a chance of participating in “Hswe-Tin-Si” for which he extorted 200,000 Kyat from Sufiya and 150,000 Kyat from Fatema Khatun.

The parents of the two extorted girls are in a refugee camp in the neighboring country Bangladesh and are now helpless, the local added.

A relative of a victim said the village administrator is ruthless and does not bring any benefit to the community. Besides, he is cutting down trees from yards of the villagers in collaboration with the BGP officers and selling them for their own benefits. 

The villagers, therefore, appeal to the higher authorities concerned to take immediate action against the village administrator in order to stop his criminal activities that drive out peace of the locality.

Reported By: Maung Swa Min

Editor: Md. Shuaib