Severe restrictions imposed on Rohingya community in Arakan

KALADAN NEWS
Monday, July 18, 2007
Severe restrictions imposed on Rohingya community in Arakan

Maungdaw, Burma: Severe restrictions have been imposed on the Rohingya community in Arakan by the local authorities, said a local from Maungdaw.

The authorities are harassing the Rohingya community by restricting their movement. For instance a Rohingya youth slept at his grandfather's house near his home, but local authorities alleged he had no permission to stay overnight at his grandfather's home in the same village. He was fined, he added.

The Rohingya youth, Mohammed Ismail (22), son of Ruhul Amin belongs to Shweza village-tract in Maundaw Township in Arakan State , Burma , said a relative of the victim.

Similarly, the authorities also imposed restrictions on a bride who married and shifted to her husband's house. The authorities alleged that she was not enlisted in her husband's family list, said a cousin of the victim on condition of anonymity.

The bride, Dilnawas daughter of Deen Mohamed, hails from Guna Para, under the Shewza village track. She was fined for living with her husband by the authorities on June 3 and for not enlisting her name in her husband's family list and not having permission to stay overnight.

According to the culture of the Rohingya community, after marriage, the bride leaves her home and goes to her husband's house.

The family of the bridegroom applied to the authorities to transfer the bride's name to her husband's family list. But the authorities delayed the transfer and then fined her.

Such rules are only imposed on the Rohingya community of Arakan, not other communities, said a teacher from Shewza village, Maungdaw.

Sources: Burma News International
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1860&Itemid=6