BNI weekly News - October 13, 2003
 
 
.   A Refugee Woman Missing from Refugee Camp
.   An agreement has to be signed between Nasaka and new couples
.   Township Chairman Ordered to Vacate 65 Dwelling houses
.   Five Rohingyas sentenced for 7-years jail in Buthidaung
.   Burmese Nasaka Gave Ultimatum to Bangladesh Businessmen
.   Rights activists criticise ASEAN
.   Army Headquarters Became a Market
.   A meeting held in Maungdaw to elicit support for Road Map
.   Burma: Time to review Razali's Performance
.   Junta order to deposit money in bank encourages soldiers to corruption
.   Seminar on Rice policy
.   Rice for famine hit Western Burma
________________________________________
 
 
A Refugee Woman Missing from Refugee Camp
13th  October 2003:
 
A Burmese Rohingya refugee woman has been missing from refugee camp since
September 21, after being clashed between refugee women and police,
according to a victim’s parents.
 
On September 21, 2003, in Kutopalong refugee camp of Cox’s Bazar District,
Bangladesh, there was a clash between Rohingya refugee women and policemen
as the refugees’ defense against forced repatriation. In the clash, 7-
Rohingya women and two other elderly men were severely beaten up by the
police. Among them Miss. Sajeda Begum, 22, and Ms. Dil Bahar, 25, a pregnant
woman were seriously wounded, they further added.
 
All 7- wounded women were arrested and taken to Ukhiya police station and
six of them were released on their agreements with authorities for
repatriation excluding Sajeda Begum. The health conditions of the wounded
women are awful because of lacking of proper medical treatments. Hussain
Ali, husband of Dil Bahar, seeing of his wife’s serious condition, he became
crazy and wandering here and there. One of the camp officials gave some
money to console him, said a refugee leader.
 
Besides, the parents of Sajeda Begum are living out of the camp to avoid
arrest and harassment of police. “Though Sajeda Begum was sent to Cox’s
Bazar jail after the incident, she is not found in the jail now. While asked
the UNHCR about their daughter, they got dissatisfactory answers from them,”
said the victim’s parents.
 
While UNHCR visits the refugee camp, the wounded victims are carried to the
Cox’s Bazar Medical Hospital for medical treatment ‘only to show the UNHCR
as they take care of the wounded refugees.’ But, the refugees only got some
tablets from the hospital and did not get proper treatment, said a victim.
 
Rohingya refugees are barred from listening to the radio and meeting
together even two refugees after the incident, said a refugee teacher.
 
The camp-in-charge Mohamed Yasin told to refugees that the present ruling
Government of Burma is the best handling for the Rohingya people. So, we
have to imitate the methods of the Burmese government to squash the Rohingya
refugees, he added.
 
In fact, the incident was broken out while the camp-in-charge accompanied by
police and workers, forcibly picked up the refugees from their sheds to sign
on affidavits as Declaration of Voluntary Repatriation (DVR), which made
refugees angry and then the women refugees resisted the police, believing
less repercussion from them. #
___________________________________
 
 
AN AGREEMENT HAS TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN NASAKA AND NEW COUPLES
12th October 2003:
 
Recently, Nasaka has released an order for the Rohingya community to sign on
an agreement between Nasaka (Border Security Force) and new married couples
for birth control, said a new married couple to our correspondent.
 
This is the first time in Rohingya history, to sign on an agreement between
Nasaka and new married couple for not more than three children shall be
born. In earlier times, they ordered the Rohingya people in verbally but
have never taken in writing statement, the bridegroom further said.
 
There were some various formalities have been imposed since 1999 on the new
Rohingya couples, intending to marry. They have to get recommendation
letters from village PDC to Township PDC (Township Peace and Development
Council) authorities and also from Health Department. The bridegroom has to
attain the age of 22 and the bride 18 and the bridegroom can take no more
wives, the couple further added.
 
At present, there are many applications to the concerned Nasaka camps for
marriage permission in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships. They have to pay
at least Kyat- 100,000 to the Nasaka authority to get permission for an
application. But, they delay to allow though they take money from the
applicants. At least, the Nasaka allows one or two in one month in a town,
an elderly villager who was recently rejected to get marriage permission by
Nasaka.
 
“ If the government is sincere, why does it only restrict the marriage
purpose of the Rohingya community excluding other communities? It is a
depopulation technique of SPDC towards Rohingya.  I believe that there is no
other country in the world such as Burma, which is second to none to
persecute its minority groups,” said a trader referring not to mention his
name.
 
Most of the poor families cannot meet the expense of the application cost,
so, they have abandoned the marriage affairs. Regarding this, many youths
and teenaged girls have been pushed to commit illicit relations between
them, said the parents of a youth with a great frustration. #
_______________________
 
 
Township Chairman Ordered to Vacate 65 Dwelling houses at Maungdaw Township
11th October 2003:
 
Maungdaw Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman had ordered
the Rohingya village to vacate their dwelling houses by October10, 2003,
according to our correspondent of Maungdaw.
 
On September 18, 2003, the TPDC Chairman Captain Hla Pu had ordered the Ba
Gone Nah village of Maungdaw south in Arakan State to vacate 65 dwelling
houses as to establish a new army camp by October10 but the villagers still
refuse to vacate the houses, he further said.
 
The affected villagers have appealed to the Chairman of TPDC to allow them
to continue their stay and also requested for alternative site for their
resettlement. But the government says nothing regarding that matter. There
was also no instruction from government side about the compensation,
according to another source.
 
To evacuate families are 65, including Badsha, Ismail, Mv. Mohamedul Hassan,
Osman, Mohamed Taher, Abu Talek and Ms Begum Bahar.
 
“ Confiscation of Rohingya lands and uprooting of our old settlements is
nothing but an attempt to destroy the economic bases of the Rohingya
people,” said a village headman.
 
In the Same way, in last June 2003, the SPDC authorities had ordered to
vacate 26 houses at Maungdaw Town. #
_________________________________
 
 
FIVE ROHINGYAS SENTENCED FOR 7-YEARS JAIL IN BUTHIDAUNG
10th October 2003:
 
Five Rohingyas of Buthidaung Towship were sentenced 7 years jail each for a
little bit extension of Madrasa by the Court No.2 of Buthidaung Town in
Arakan State on September 10, 2003, according to a Madrasa teacher, named
Mv. Anwar.
 
All victims hail from Ywet Nyo Taung village of Buthidaung Township and were
arrested by Nasaka (Border Security Force) of camp No.21 of Nasaka area No.9
on February 2, 2003 by accusation of for extension of Madrasa (Religious
School) without permission of concerned authorities. The arrested persons
are Mv Araf Ullah, Mv. Fayas Ahmed, Salamat Ullah, Hafez Ullah (Chairman of
Madrasa Committee) and ex-Chairman Mostafa and three other Madrasa teachers
named Mv.Nurul Islam, Mv. Shoffi Ullah and he himself, Mv. Anwar fled to
Bangladesh to avoid the Nasaka’s arrest, he further added.
 
One week later, the arrest of Madrasa Committee members, the said Madrasa
was completely demolished by the Nasaka of camp No. 21 of Nasaka area No.9,
said another Madrasa teacher named Mv.Shoffi Ullah.
 
The arrested persons were detained at the Nasaka camp No. 21 till June 16,
2003. During this time, foods have been provided from the victims’ homes,
but Kyat 500/- has been paid for each time to the gate sentry while the
relatives of the victims went to provide foods to the detainees at the
Nasaka camp, he further said.
 
They were detained in the Nasaka camp for two and half months without any
query. But, after bribing Kyat 600,000/- to the commander of the Nasaka camp
No.21, they have been transferred to the Buthidaung jail to frame their
cases, said Mv. N. Islam.
 
On September 10, 2003, the victims were sent to the Court of Buthidaung
Town, where the Magistrate sentenced them 7-years jail each without any
proper investigations as a little bit extension of Madrasa for lacking of
permission from SPDC authorities and not to comply the order of State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC), source further added. #
_____________________
 
 
Burmese Nasaka Gave Ultimatum to Bangladesh Businessmen
10th Ocober 2003:
 
The Burmese Nasaka (Border Security Force) has given an ultimatum to two
Bangladeshi businessmen for immediate release of seven arrested Burmese
nationals by Bangladesh police, said Hamid Mohamed Ershad, a local reporter.
 
Seven- Rakhine (Burmese nationals) including one Aung Kyaw Sein has been
arrested on 4th October 2003 by police in Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar District
under the accusation of passport Act.
 
On hearing of the information, the Nasaka forces were very angry with two
famous Bangladeshi businessmen named Masood and Hashem who hail from Partia
and Teknaf respectively and they were given ultimatum by the Nasaka to
release the arrested persons without any condition within 5-days or by
October 10. The said two businessmen invested huge money in Arakan State,
Burma for business purpose. If the arrested persons will not be released on
aforesaid day, the invested money of the two businessmen would be seized and
all kinds of legal and illegal trade between the two countries would be
closed. Therefore, the two businessmen have been trying with their best to
release the Burmese nationals without taking any rest, he further said.
 
Since the Nasaka’s ultimatum, the two businessmen have been trying to get a
charge- sheet passed with police officials by bribing a large amount of
money and to seek bail from the court but District magistrate denied bail
yesterday.
 
Mr. Mohamed Yahaya, an officer-in-charge of Ukhiya police station said, “
These 7-Burmese nationals were arrested with suspicion. Though they came to
Bangladesh with legal passport, they were openly moving in Cox’s Bazar area
without any fear of their expired date of passport and there is no
opportunity for any Bangladeshi to overstay, even for an hour in Burma. He
also said that some Rakhines from Burma take shelter in Rakhine villages of
Bangladesh and leak out secret information of Bangladesh with hiding faces,
which may be danger of Bangladesh entity. So, this trial will be taking by
Bangladesh laws.”
 
Some Bangladeshi local elites think that these arrested Burmese nationals
might be spies of the Nasaka and partners of the said smugglers
(businessmen), unless why the Nasaka gave ultimatum to those businessmen and
would stop both legal and illegal border trade! #
________________________________________
 
 
Rights activists criticise ASEAN
9th October 2003:
 
Regional human rights activists who are campaigning at the ASEAN Summit in
Bali have criticised the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) for
conduct amounting, in their opinion, to "swallowing another crop of lies
served up by the Burmese junta", regarding Burma's so-called road map toward
democracy.
 
"By deferring decisive action on Burma, ASEAN has condemned this region to
yet more security threats and instability as a result of the Burmese
regime's misrule", said Debbie Stothard from Altsean-Burma at a press
conference in Bali yesterday.
 
"It is not too late for ASEAN and its individual member states to be more
decisive and pro-active on Burma. They should support moves to raise Burma
at the UN Security Council. Otherwise, Burma's problems will continue to
haunt ASEAN and undermine its credibility", she added.
 
In August, the new Prime Minister of Burma, General Khin Nyunt, outlined a
seven-point "road map" for democratic reforms in Burma.
 
"ASEAN leaders were prepared to accept General Khin Nyunt's roadmap despite
knowing that it is a rehash of previous excuses for delaying genuine
political and economic reforms. He has refused to commit to the involvement
of the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi or the ethnic
nationality leaders", said Max de Mesa of Task Force Detainees of the
Philippines (TFDP).
 
At the Bali Summit, ASEAN leaders have taken a soft stand on the Burmese
military junta by endorsing General Khin Nyunt's "road map" for democracy
and by welcoming "positive developments" in Burma. In their formal
communiqué, the ASEAN leaders made no reference to detained Burmese
democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
 
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday urged the ASEAN leaders
to press the Burmese government to move towards democracy, according to
agencies reports.
 
Meanwhile, the status of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains unclear. Burmese
foreign minister U Win Aung told the journalists in Bali that Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi was not in detention but merely "recuperating" from her
gynaecological operation.
 
However, her party members insist that party members and supporters could
not meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
 
"Only two NLD youths who are assigned to look after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
could enter her compound", said U Thein Nyunt, a NLD Member of Parliament in
an interview with a Burmese overseas radio.#
____________________________________
 
 
Army Headquarters Became a Market
8th October 2003:
 
The army Headquarters of Battalion No.551 of Thin Ga Net village of
Buthidaung north in Arakan State has become a market since September 20,
2003, according to our source.
 
Previously, the villagers had to buy essential goods from the government
agents. SPDC authorities--- Military Intelligence, Nasaka, army officials
and Township Peace and Development Council--- authorized the said agents by
taking with huge money for one- year period. The agents have to buy their
concerned goods from the town agents or from local villagers and brought to
the villages to sell the villagers. The villagers also have to sell their
products to the agents with their low and fixed price, the source further
added.
 
There are so many agents, such as: salt agent, bamboo agent, kerosene agent,
betel leaves agent, Chili agent, fishing agent, meat agent, wood agent,
edible oil agent, pulses agent goods to the villagers at a high price. For
instances: one kilogram of salt is being sold Kyat 60 in village, but it is
being sold at town Kyat 40 only and one 50 kgs bag of rice is being sold
Kyat 12,000 by the village agent, but it is being sold in town Kyat 9,000.
The agent has the power to increase the prices of goods according to his own
decision. But, no one dares to tell him anything about the increasing prices
as he has good relation to the SPDC authorities. Some agents are also
partnership with SPDC authorities, said another villager to our press.
 
Villagers were not affording to buy the goods from the agent as they have no
jobs, no money and they are also facing movement of restriction.  These push
the villagers into poverty day by day. They must buy goods from agents at a
high price, and are not allowed to buy any things except the agents. If they
bought some things from other places, they should be punished or the army or
the Nasaka seized the goods, he further added.
 
For the impact of agent systems, six members from one family were dead in
Badana village of Taung Bazar village Tracts of Buthidaung north in Arakan
State by taking insecticide in the first week of September 2003, as they
didn’t bear of the starvation. Another three persons also died in Buthidaung
Town by starvation in the month of September. Regarding this matter, UNHCR
and SPDC authorities of Buthidaung Township made a discussion about the
agent systems. After that discussion, the SPDC authorities have destroyed
some agents, said a schoolteacher to our source.
 
Instead of these agents, the headquarters of Battalion No. 551 became a
market place for the villagers, which is now selling all kinds of goods to
the villagers. Some of the authorized persons of the headquarters have to
buy goods from Buthidaung Town and brings them to their headquarters by boat
and then selling the goods to the villagers with suitable prices compared to
those previous local agents.
 
Thus, the SPDC authorities are earning money by creating lucrative business,
while the ruling military junta cannot have enough money to maintain their
military expenses, said an ex-lawyer at Buthidaung. #
____________________________________
 
 
A meeting held in Maungdaw to elicit support for Road Map
7th October 2003:
 
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Brig. Gen. Khin Maung held a
meeting with other officials in Maungdaw town in Arakan state with an aim to
elicit people’s support for the seven-point Road Map of new Prime Minsiter
Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt.
 
The meeting held on September 20 was attended among others by Union
Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) chairmen and other members of
Rangoon, Arakan, Buthidaung district, a participant at the meeting told our
correspondent. Prominent Rohingya and Rakhine persons of the town and local
government officials were invited to the meeting.
 
Addressing the meeting the Deputy Minister gave a brief outline of the
situation in Burma from 1947 to the present and the significant role of the
army throughout the Burmese history.
 
“The Army is the father and mother of the people. Therefore, the Army
deserves to be elected in future. We know, the Muslims in Arakan have been
suffering since long time. We promise them that they will be allowed to live
peacefully in Arakan in future if they support our Road Map," Brig. Gen.
told the participants.
 
He also urged the Rohingya people not to pay heed to western advice and
policies. “If you follow western advice, you will face more difficulties in
future. If you follow our advice we will guarantee you a peaceful living in
Arakan in future,” a source quoted the Deputy Minister as having said.
 
A participant informed that the Minister said, "According to our Road Map we
will convene the National Convention, draw a new Constitution and hold a
referendum and new elections. But we will never agree to the Opposition
demand for the ‘Federal System’.
 
People in Maungdaw were critical of the minister for not mentioning anything
about the Arakan people facing starvation due to shortage of rice during his
first visit to the town, an ex-village headman said. #
__________________________________
 
 
Burma: Time to review Razali's Performance
Zin Linn
6th October 2003:
 
Apart from failing to persuade ruling Burmese junta to release Opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, UN envoy Razali Ismail has not obtained a promise
from them that the National League for Democracy (NLD) would be part of
their "road map" to democracy, diplomats and media persons here have said.
 
Before he left Rangoon after a three-day visit on October 2, Razali said
neither the junta's Commander-in-Chief Than Shwe nor Prime Minister Khin
Nyunt appeared to have shown any sign of goodwill towards the national
reconciliation process.
 
"Khin Nyunt told Razali that it was too early to discuss NLD’s participation
in the National Convention, which has remained suspended since 1996 after
the NLD walked out, a diplomat told Reuters.
 
The diplomats quoted Razali as saying that Ms Suu Kyi, who is under house
arrest, was willing to work with Prime Minister Nyunt on the "road map". She
also urged the UN envoy to have an investigation undertaken into the May 30
clash between her supporters and pro-junta activists during a provincial
tour, which led to her detention, the diplomats said.
 
But according to a reliable source, controversy rages over whether Ms Suu
Kyi would easily accept the junta's "road map" before having had talks with
them.
 
Daw San San, a Member of Parliament from Rangoon division, recently said she
disbelieved Razali’s message that Ms Suu Kyi was willing to work with the
Prime Minister on the "road map". Ms Suu Kyi had firmly decided that the
1990 election results must be respected by all means. It may be that what is
at stake now are negotiations on beginning the suspended National
Convention, she said.
 
An NLD MP here disapproved of Razali’s action in urging the ethnic leaders
to join the “Road Map”, when he met them as an envoy.
 
Another NLD official from Rangoon rebuked Razali for wanting to be praised
as a successful envoy after each trip to Burma. “Razali forgets that he is
dealing with the most notorious generals who never keep their word,” he
said.
 
A political analyst said that Razali should secure Ms Suu Kyi's  release so
that she can speak out for herself and the Burmese people.
 
Journalists here were also disappointed with Razali for his undiplomatic
manner in dealing with the local press. "He did not disclose anything to us
but only made his spin with the diplomats," said a journalist.
 
Meanwhile, a petition signed by 111 NLD MPs was submitted to 15 member
states of the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General on September
29.
 
The petition, which was not put through Razali, strongly urged the UNSC to
take responsibility for implementing the national reconciliation process in
Burma. The petition also demanded that Ms Suu Kyi and senior NLD leaders be
released and all NLD offices be allowed to reopen before the process
commenced.
 
On October 2, exiled Members of Parliament testified on the human rights
violations of the Burmese junta before the Inter-Parliamentary Union's
Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
 
Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win told the BBC ‘World  Today’
programme that the authorities were in touch with Ms Suu Kyi. Mr Win said
that it was because of the authorities’ keeping in touch with Ms Suu Kyi
that they were able to provide her medical treatment last month.
 
Asked when the opposition leader would be released from house arrest, he
merely answered: "Unfortunately we have had some problems in the past, so
when the situation returns to normal, then we can think of releasing her."
 
The military regime is plotting more tricks by delaying the release of the
Nobel Laureate and of more than 1600 political prisoners and by drawing its
own "road map". If the junta sincerely wishes to work for a genuine "road
map", it should publicly declare an acceptable time-frame and
representatives involved in the process. It is obvious that the "road map"
proposed by the Prime Minister is nothing but deception to soften
international pressure and to hold on to power incessantly.
 
The Burmese also expect the ASEAN to put pressure on military junta to seek
the release of Ms Suu Kyi during the Southeast Asian leaders' summit in Bali
this week.
 
Chairman of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), Makarim Wibisuno, who
is also the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry's director-general of Asian
Pacific and South African Affairs, said that “we (Indonesia) as the chairman
of the ASEAN meeting will proceed with discussions on the detention of Ms
Suu Kyi.”
 
After the SOM, Makarim said that the ASEAN officials found the situation in
military-ruled Burma as becoming an increasing embarrassment for the group.#
________________________________________
 
 
Junta order to deposit money in bank encourages soldiers to corruption
7th October 2003:
 
Following the ruling Burmese junta’s order requiring soldiers to save money
in banks for themselves and for the battalions, the members of the Burmese
Army have been engaged in corrupt practices, said a source in a bank.
 
The officials of the Burmese Army, who are transferred to Rakhine state and
especially the border areas of Bangladesh, get involved in illegal and
forceful collection of money from whatever source is available, he said. He
gave the example of the Light Infantry battalion No 552, which has been
stationed at Taungbazaar village under Buthidaung township. The battalion
officials are engaged in profiteering by selling fuel oil at a higher price.
 
They buy diesel from Buthidaung at Kyat 1,400 to 1,500 per gallon and force
one Abdur Rashid, a fuel oil agent, to sell the same at Kyat 1,900 to the
general public, he said.
 
“Though the price of diesel is Kyat 1,700 in the open market, it is sold at
a higher price to raise funding for the battalion,” a source in the army
said. In the deal, the villagers have to suffer a loss, he added.
 
The officials of the army, Nasaka (border security forces) and other law
enforcement agencies have been asked by the junta to deposit their money at
the Myanmar Ubaing Bank Ltd, it was learnt.  “With the meagre salary the
state pays, it is very unusual that the law enforcement agents can save huge
sums of money without resorting to extra ‘employment’ or corruption.” An
official of the Myanmar Ubaing Bank Ltd hinted, giving figures of the amount
of money saved by different battalions in the bank.  #
______________________________
 
 
Seminar on Rice policy
6th October 2003:
 
The Burmese military junta has put into motion a new rice policy to give a
boost to production and trading in rice, daily Myanmar Alin has quoted
Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj Gen Nyunt Tin as saying.
 
Addressing a seminar on ‘Rice Sector Policy: Neighbouring Countries’
Experiences’, jointly organized by the Burmese Ministry of Agriculture and
Irrigation and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization here on October 3,
Maj Gen Tin also stressed the need to learn the rice sector policies and
experiences of neighbouring countries.
 
The military junta in April declared a new rice procurement policy aimed at
“privatization of sale of rice”.  The new rice policy makes way for open
sale of rice with minimum state control. Previously the rice cultivators
were forced to take agricultural loans from the government banks and the
loan was not paid back in cash, but with rice. This proved to be a heavy
burden on the rice cultivators.
 
In a bid to implement the new rice policy, five-member rice purchase
committees have been set up in every village under 17 townships across
Rakhine state in western Burma.
 
Though the military regime announced open transportation of rice, not body
is yet allowed to carry rice from one township to another without the
permission of junta officials in Rakhine, the Narinjara News discovered
after conducting  investigations in a number of townships.
 
In August, about 40 bags of rice were confiscated by the Burmese Army on
MaungdawButhidaung road, close to Bangladesh border. Since then no
transportation of rice has been carried out on the road.
 
A farmer in the area told our correspondent, “We are in doubt about the new
rice procurement policy because there has been no sign of implementing what
they said. There are already five-member rice  purchase committees formed in
our village to whom we have been directed to sell rice. We don’t know how
the new policy will actually be implemented.”
 
Last year, the regime bought rice at Kyat 30,000 for 250 bushels from the
cultivators while it was Kyat 200,000 outside, the farmer said.
 
The seminar was also addressed by Resident Representative of FAO Tang
Zhengping, Dr David Charles of IRPRC, Dr V Bruce J Tolentino from Vietnam
and Mr Vichai Sriprasert from Thailand, and Mr Tang Shengyao from China, who
shared the rice sector policies and experiences of their respective
countries.  #
_____________________________
 
 
Rice for famine hit Western Burma
6th October 2003:
 
To meet the urgent demand for rice in western Burma,  thousands of bags of
rice are being transported from elsewhere in Burma everyday.
 
The price of a bag of rice recorded a sharp increase from Kyat 7,000 to
14,500 in a month – a most unlikely thing to happen in a Burmese provincial
state that produces surplus rice every year.
 
On the Sittwe-Rangoon road at Ann, in the foothills of the Roma ranges,
large convoys of trucks carrying rice from other places are seen crossing
the gate everyday.
 
The present famine-like condition in Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh,
has prompted the junta’s State Peace and Development Council to allow
transportation of rice, cooking oil and other daily necessities by
withdrawing their ban last month. Earlier, though the rice from Rakhine
state was being taken to Burma in huge quantities, there was an effective
ban on transportation of any food items from Burma proper, making life of
the ordinary Rakhinese unbearable.
 
“We were expecting a famine to creep in since the ruling Burmese junta won’t
allow us to bring food items into our state, though they were taking away
our products, including rice, in huge quantities,” an official of a private
company said on condition of anonymity.
 
“This is pure exploitation. The present famine has been artificially created
by the junta,” he added.
 
According to an official at the Ann Nasaka Gate 25, 34 trucks carrying 7,540
bags of rice were heading for Sittwe from Rangoon on September 12. The
following day about 8,755 bags of rice were transported on 45 trucks. Since
then the number of trucks carrying rice has been growing.
 
“The junta has been compelled to allow transportation of rice into Rakhine
fearing a mass discontent resulting from the present rice crisis,” a college
professor said.
 
In August last year, there was large scale looting of rice in Minbra town in
Rakhine and dozens of people were arrested in it. #
____________________________________________________________
 
Burma News International (BNI) is a network of six Independent Burma Media
organizations: The Mizzima News, The Narinjara News, the Kaladan Press
Network, the Khonumthung News Group, the Network Media Group and the
Independent Mon News Agency.#