Muslim armed groups— the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO)—are facilitating the flight of displaced Muslims from Maungdaw to Bangladesh by demanding large sums of money.
Local Muslims claim that ARSA and RSO, in cooperation with boatmen near the Naf River, are transporting displaced Muslims to refugee camps in Bangladesh. They are organizing the refugees by promising assistance at the camps, while demanding exorbitant amounts of money in exchange for the passage.
Ko Noe Mai Htaw Phar from 4th Mile village in Maungdaw said, “They (ARSA and RSO) are collecting people and sending them to Bangladesh for a fee. They are coordinating with the Bangladeshi border guard. I heard they charge 500,000 Kyat per person.”
The ARSA and RSO are sending people to Bangladesh, demanding between Ks-500,000 and Ks-1,000,000. Many people have been sent back to Arakan State after being arrested by the Bangladeshi border police.
During a field investigation, DMG discovered that most of the boatmen from Mingalargyi village in Maungdaw are required to pay extortion money to the RSO in order to transport people to Bangladesh. They are only allowed to carry out the transport with the RSO’s permission.
On the other hand, local residents report that some families are fleeing to Bangladesh to escape forced recruitment by Muslim armed groups.
“Muslim armed groups are in need of manpower, so if a family has five children, they take one boy. No parent wants to give their child to an armed group. Some families secretly flee to Bangladesh because they believe it’s wrong to join the armed group. They have no choice but to escape, as the armed groups arrest and torture those who refuse to join,” said Ko Noe Mai Htaw Phar.
Daw Fatama Hutu stated that she and nine family members from Maungni village in Maungdaw Township were arrested by Bangladeshi border guards and sent back while crossing the Naf River on their way to Bangladesh on 12 October.
Daw Fatama Hutu said, “Due to the intense fighting in Maungdaw, life has become very difficult. Our neighbors, who had gone to Bangladesh earlier, told us that the UN provides food and medicine to those who arrive there. So, we decided to go to Bangladesh. However, when we reached the Bangladeshi side, the border guards arrested us and sent us back to Arakan State.”
In addition, people with poor health often travel to Bangladesh seeking medical treatment, only to be arrested by the Bangladeshi border guards and sent back.
Mohammed Kal Raza from Ward No.5 in Maungdaw said, “We went to Bangladesh to treat my daughter’s heart disease. However, on the Bangladeshi side, the BGB arrested us and sent us back to Arakan State. Some people want to go to Bangladesh for health reasons, while others seek to go there for a better livelihood.”
On 8 October, Mohammed Kal Raza’s family traveled to Bangladesh via Mingalargyi village in Maungdaw Township by boat. After being detained and interrogated for two days in Bangladesh, they were sent back to Arakan State on 10 October.
Muslims from Maungdaw have said that the RSO group is collecting extortion fees from those traveling to Bangladesh. The ARSA also seeks to control this opportunity, leading to frequent clashes between the two groups.
Bangladeshi authorities have announced that over 30,000 Muslims from Maungdaw fled to Bangladesh during the battle for control of Maungdaw.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)
