Maungdaw, Arakan state: 15 – vehicles from Maungdaw was requisitioned by local authority to transport census processing groups- Enumerators , Supervisor, Immigration officers, village admin officers and security personnel- to their destination to collect census data which started from March 30 – April 10, yesterday evening, said Dil Mohamed, a driver from Maungdaw.
The local authority did not give any wages for our daily used, only gave the gas only, Dil Mohamed said.
“I have driven my vehicle from Maungdaw to Ahngomaw yesterday evening and till today, we are not getting any foods from local authority and we have to use our money for foods and others. The authority only supported us a limited gas only, Dil Mohamed, said.
In the 15-vehicles – 12 vehicles are belonged to Rohingya and other three vehicles are owned by Rakhine, said Maungdaw vehicles owner group.
The government had fund for census which was supported by UNFPA, but they were requisitioned our vehicles and ordered to Village admin officers to supply foods for census processing group by collecting money from villagers, said Halim. A Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.
The local authority ordered only the Rohingya villagers of admin officers, not to Rakhine villagers of admin officers, Halim said.
The village admin officer forced the villagers and collect double money in the name of supply foods for census processing group, said a village admin office member.
The Maungdaw vehicles owner group said they are losing their income and they had to pay money to their staffs when the vehicles was on requisition period. They also said they don’t know how long the vehicles will be in hand of authority as a requisition.
