Going to police in Maungdaw leads to extortion

Maungdaw, Arakan State (KPN): Reporting to the police station in Maungdaw is a difficult proposition, said a local elder.

Recently, the police force in Maungdaw police station arrested people, who went to the police station to report cases, he said.

Buzuruk Meah from Maungnama village of Maungdaw was arrested by the police yesterday when he went to report that his three year old son, Syed Ahmed had fallen into a roadside pond and died, said a village authority member of Maungnama.

The accident occurred when some village children were playing on the road. Both sides of the road were filled with rain water. Syed suddenly fell into the water. His friends screamed for help and the villagers rushed to the spot but found Syed had died, he said.

When the father went to the police station with the village authority member and other village elders, the police arrested him and other villagers except the village authority member. The police interrogated the village authority member about the accident.

The police released all the villagers except Buzuruk. He was freed after the police extorted Kyat 120,000, said a villager who was arrested with Buzuruk.

In Maungdaw, Anwar a shopkeeper, who went to report about harassment by a local Rakhine goon, was arrested and kept for a day in custody. He was released after he paid Kyat 200,000 demanded by the police, said a shopkeeper in Maungdaw Market.

“If the law enforcement department is troubling the public, where will the people go for justice,” asked a student in Maungdaw.

When asked about the accident an elder from Maungdaw said, “We complained to the concerned authorities, but no action was taken”.

(Jeg's: And extortion is legal as per the Home Ministry, read here)