The Burma Border Guard Police (BGP) has been staking out mosques, madrasas (religious schools) and cemeteries at night since the second week of October according to Farous a village administration officer from Maungdaw South.
He said: “BGP personnel stay near the religious building and cemeteries at night after people have gone home and they watch the area. They return to their bases early in the morning.”
He said that the BGP started doing this after they had arrested some Rohingya youths and religious students, some of whom died in custody.
Rafique a politician from Maungdaw said that the BGP suspect that members of the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) hide out in religious buildings and cemeteries and have been active in Maungdaw. He said that it was just an excuse for the authorities to threaten and harass Rohingyas and make out that they are breaking the law.
Lukman Hakhim a local elder said that many villagers are worried by the BGP’s actions and are scared of what they will do to them.
