Authorities prohibit repair of religious buildings

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The military junta again barred the repair of religious buildings in Maungdaw on December 15, according to a local who requested anonymity.

The order was issued by Bo Than, the head of the District Religious Council of Maungdaw, but originated from the Maungdaw District Peace and Development Council and other related authorities, the local added.

The order instructed the Maungdaw Juma Masjid Committee to halt repairs to the Juma masjid (mosque) which have been ongoing since November 2010, said a member of Masjid Committee.

“When the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) candidates came to organize the local Rohingya community in Maungdaw for the election, the repairing order was brought by the USDP candidate, U Aung Zaw Win, to show his party’s ability and its interest in religious affairs,” the committee member added.

The USDP’s treasury unit for Maungdaw, accompanied by other local USDP members, carried out extensive renovations to the mosque where the members worked on finishing the walls and building an extension beside the mosque.

“The USDP members were working some part of the mosque and the extension is just undergoing to construct. The devotees have less space for prayer as the USDP members are working in the mosque.”

The newly-elected USDP MP U Aung Zaw Win told the Masjid Committee to wait until the return of U Phone Swe from India to discuss the ordered stoppage of the Mosque renovation. U Phone Swe is expected to arrive back within two days.

“Rohingya in Arakan state continue to experience the severest forms of legal, economic, educational, and social discrimination,” according to the US International Religious Freedom Report 2010.

“It remained extremely difficult for Rohingya to acquire permission to build new, or repair existing, mosques, although internal renovations were allowed in some cases. Historic mosques in Akyab, Arakan State, as well as other areas, continued to deteriorate because authorities would not allow routine maintenance. A number of restrictions were in place on the construction or renovation of mosques and religious schools in northern Arakan State. In some parts of Arakan State, authorities cordoned off mosques and forbade Rohingya to worship in them. Border security forces, Nasaka, continued to conduct arbitrary "inspections" of mosques in northern Arakan State, demanding that mosque officials show permits to operate the mosques.”

Source: Kaladan Press Network.
Link: http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2969:authorities-prohibit-repair-of-religious-buildings.