Rathedaung Twsp farmer says buffaloes stolen at knifepoint

By DMG 22 Dec 2020

Nyan Hein and Aung Kaung Zaw | DMG
22 December 2020, Sittwe

An unidentified group of people with knives robbed a farmer’s tent in Khamaung Done village, part of Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township, late Monday evening, the farmer told DMG.

U Maung Saw Than, who lives about 0.2 kilometre from the village, said the assailants stole his buffaloes at about 10 p.m. on December 21.

“They came to my hut and tied my hands at my back. They took my seven buffaloes,” he said.

His buffaloes’ worth totalled more than K7 million ($5,260) at current market prices, he added.

DMG phoned the Rathedaung Township administrator seeking comment on the robbery, but he said he was in the state capital Sittwe at the time and was not aware of it.

About 20 cows have gone missing in Manaung Township recently, residents said.

U Nyi Htwe, a resident of Thein Gone village in Manaung Township, said his two cows were stolen on the night of December 19.

“I tied my cows up in the cowshed. I did not see my cows in the morning,” he said.

At least four cows were stolen from Thein Gone village this year, residents said. Though the cattle disappearances were reported to the police station, nothing has happened so far, they said.

“When we reported to the police, they said they would search for it. But we had to pay money to them for travel and we did not get back our cows so far. We’ve lost double,” said Ko Nyi Lay, a resident of Thein Gone village.

Zaw Win Myint, a police clerk at the Manaung Township police station, said investigations are ongoing over the missing cows.

Residents have said up to 30 cows go missing per year in neighbouring Pauktaw Township.