October 19, 2016
Even as Rohingya Muslims continue to be killed by the dozens, collaborators within the community are making life even more difficult.
The collaborators, also known as tabbees are providing the government with information on who might be a potential threat to the rule of the government. Additionally, many Rohingyas are being forced to pay huge amounts of bribes as tabbes are threatening to inform their ‘activities’ to the government.
In Nan Chanung, Maungdaw, a man says that Hukkata (village level representative) Khaleque forced him to pay 200,000 kyats. Otherwise it was threatened he would be put on the list of terrorists the government is compiling. He claims many others like him have been forced to come up with large amounts of cash.
Meanwhile in Ba Gone Nah, Maungdaw South, our correspondent says 14 people have been pointed out as rebels by a local tabbe called Solim (s/o Abdul). Due to the cooperation of tabbes and security forces in the area, the general populace is living in a tensed atmosphere and there are fears of an attack by the Tatmadaw.
Similarly, in many other areas, collaborators are pointing out people for the security forces. Our correspondents in the Maungdaw region say without the tabbes, the military could never have taken control of the area where 90 per cent of the population is Muslim and thus unleash their reign of terror.
