Eight Rohingya villagers implicated in a false case of beating a Nasaka personnel are still detained, as they could not afford the bribe money being demanded by Nasaka officer for their release, said a relative of victims yesterday to Kaladan Press.Earlier on 19th March and 1st April 2002, the said eight Rohingya villagers had been arrested by Nasaka authority of Camp No.21 in Sector 9 from ‘Atwin Nget Thay’ village, a place about 6-miles South-east of Buthidaung town in Arakan State, he further added.

Those who had been arrested on 19th March and 1st April are as follows:-

1) Mohamed S/o Anu Mea, 25; 2) Salamat Ullah S/o Mohamed Hashim,37; 3) Jaffor Hussain S/o Nur Ahamed,18; 4) Mia Hussain S/o Sami Ullah, 55;5)Hashim Ullah S/o Mia Hussain, 20; 6) Kalim Ullah S/o Mia Hussain, 23; 7) Mrs. Hussain Banu D/o Mia Hussain, 33; 8) Mrs.Katiza Begum D/o Mia Hussain, 30; all of them are belong to “Atwin Nget Thay” village of Buthidaung township.

According to villagers of ‘Atwin Nget Thay’, for nearly 4 months, beginning from mid March 2002, they have been facing increased harassment and agony of Nasaka. On March 18, at about 3.00 pm two Nasaka personnel equipped with knives and swords trespassed and looted the house of Mia Hussain (55), S/o Sami Ullah of the village, after beating the house owner.
Hearing the hue and cry of the wife of Mia Hussain, the nearby villagers rushed to the spot and captured one of the two culprits red handed while the other managed to escape from the scene, the villagers further said.

The incident was coincided with a tour of a police team came to the village from Buthidaung for colleting paddy .The villagers after apprising the police of the incident handed both the house owner and the Nasaka personnel to them. Then the police sent the victim Mia
Hussain to Buthidaung General Hospital for treatment while the Nasaka culprit was detained in police custody, the villagers further added.

On information, a section of Nasaka under the command of commander of camp No. 23 rushed to Buthidaung and picked-up the culprit Nasaka soldier from the police custody and the victim from the hospital and carried them together to their Nasaka camp No. 21. After that the victim was detained at the Nasaka camp and the culprit Nasaka soldier was set free, said a source in the Nasaka camp.

The following day, on 19 March, by the order of the Nasaka camp No. 21, two sections of Nasaka forces went to the victim’s house and carried his whole family, such as his wife, two young daughters aged 20, 23 and daughter-in-law, 25,while in detention they pronounced
under duress that the enlisted in their earlier prepared list of the Nasaka had been involved in said incident, the source further said.

However, on 20th March, the wife of Mia Hussain was released in serious condition while her two daughters and daughter-in-law were in continuously kept detention. According to Mia Hussain’s wife, she with her daughters and daughter-in-law had been gang-raped
routinely every night in the Nasaka camp.

In addition, on 20th March, the Nasaka commander of camp No. 21 implicated the following villagers of ‘Atwin Nget Thay’ in the incident of 18th March, 2002 were arrested and tortured while they were detained in the Nasaka camp. However, they were later released on payment of ransom on 30th March, said another relative of the victims.

1) Monir Ahmad S/o Amir Hamza, 75, Kyat. 200,000; 2) Hamid Hussain S/o Sami Ullah, 46, Kyat. 300,000; 3) Shahab Uddin S/o Abdul Ali, 20, Kyat. 100,000; 4) Salim Ullah S/o Abu Siddique, 22, Kyat. 150,000; 5) Abdul Gaffar S/o Wahid Baukshu, 76, Kyat. 200,000; 6) Mrs. Hussain Ara Banu D/o Amir Hussain, 40, Kyat.100,000; 7) Daughter-in-law of Mia Hussain, 22,
Kyat.100,000; 8) Miss Shaju D/o Habib Ullah, 17,Kyat. 100,000; 9) Mohamed Rashid S/o Habib Ullah, 38, Kyat.200,000; 10) Kala Bada S/o Musa Ali, 22, Kyat.250,000; 11) Abdul Ali S/o Gura Mia, 40, Kyat.200,000; 12) Ilyas S/o Abdul Ali,25, Kyat.100,000; 13) Nurul Islam S/o Monir Ahamed,40, Kyat. 350,000; Total Kyat. 23,50,000.These villagers are from “Atwin Nget Thay” village under the township of Buthidaung.

Meanwhile, the Nasaka has continued its harassment of villagers to take huge ransom under the pretext of involvement in the incident of 18 March. Thus many people have gone into hiding. Villagers have been continuously arrested, who include Nur Hussain (32), son of Ibrahim and Japanya (22), son of Dowlamiah of ‘Atwin Nget Thay’ village, the two youths were ordered to be shot at sight. However, the following villagers were set free on 2nd June , 2002 by paying ransom, said another relative of victims.

1)Kamal Hussain S/o Abu Sayed,25, Kyat.250,000; 2) Jamal Hussain S/o Mohamed Hussin,37, kyat.150,000; 3) Dil Mohamed S/o Abu sayed,200,000; 4) Ali Juhar S/o Kala Mia,25, Kyat. 100,000; 5) Shaker S/o Hamid Ali,25, Kyat.300,000; 6) Shah Alam S/o Karim Bokshu, 27, Kyat. 150,000; 7) Mohamed Kamal Hussain S/o Sami Uddin,26, Kyat.200,000. Total Kyat 13,50,000. These all are belong to “Atwin Nget Thay” village of Buthidaung township.

On 1st June, 2002, Nasaka arrested one Abu Nasir (28), son of Haji Abu Mia and a girl named Miss Juma Khatun (20), daughter of Ayub Ali without any reasonable ground .However, Abu Nasir was released on 6th June, on payment of a ransom of Kyat 140,000 but Miss Juma Khatun who was supposed to be released on the same day was freed on 10th June,2002. According to villagers, she had been kept four more days in the camp for unholy purpose.