A special court in Buthidaung, Arakan State released 62 Rohingyas, who were arrested by the army during violence in 2012, from Buthidaung Jail on 1 July said Halim, a Human Rights watchdog from Maungdaw.
He said: “They were arrested in different villages by the army and riot police during the violence between the Rakhine and Rohingya community in Maungdaw Township.”
Halim said, of the released prisoners, 26 came from Khonza Bill (Kan Hpoo) Village, 16 came from Warrcha (Saung Mona) Village, one came from Gawyah Khali Village, one came from Oo Daung Village and 18 came from Shilkhali (Kyauk Chang) Village in Maungdaw South.
Johar, a school teacher from Buthidaung said that after the riots on 8 June 2012, the army, the police, the Hluntin (riot police) and the Nasaka (Burma Border Security Force) accompanied by Rakhine civilians arrested many Rohingyas from different villages and sent them to Buthidaung jail. The special court in Buthidaung then sentenced many of the Rohingyas to prison for sentences ranging from five to 20 years without holding a proper inquiry.
One of the released prisoners said there were many Rohingyas in Buthidaung Jail who were enduring miserable conditions. He refused to elaborate because he was scared for his own security and that of the Rohingya still in jail. He said that if news reports about the problem were critical of the government the prison authorities would torture the Rohingya prisoners.
According to sources when the released prisoners asked to be put back onto their family lists the authorities demanded money from them.
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
