A trader importing onions from Bangladesh into Rakhine State has been shot dead following an alleged altercation with border security forces in Maungdaw, according to local residents. Hundreds attended his funeral yesterday in Buthidaung.
The 25-year-old Rohingya man, who went by his Myanmar name of Maung Maung, was killed on the evening of December 7 as he returned in his truck from Taungpyo on the border and reached a Border Guard Police checkpoint.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said the truck, driven by a Rakhine man, ran through the checkpoint and was pursued by the BGP officers. Another source said the altercation with the BGP ensued when Maung Maung and others in the vehicle refused to pay a bribe.
The exact sequence of events is not clear. The three others in the truck – two Rakhine men and one Rohingya, who are officially called Bengalis by the government – are now reportedly being detained by Maungdaw police, including the Border Guard Police officer who allegedly opened fire.
Several attempts made by The Myanmar Times to contact Maungdaw township and Rakhine State police yesterday were unsuccessful.
Maung Maung had been running an import business over the past month as the prices of onions and garlic soared because of domestic shortages caused by floods. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
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