Four Muslim youths hailing from Sittwe township of Rakhine State weresold to the human traffickers even though a broker wrongly claimed that theywould get jobs, alleged by the family members.

The youths have been identified as  Mar Mauk Solin (16) from Owntawgyi (north) Muslimrefugee camp,  Halaya and SoyoukTamin from Khaung Dukkar village and Tahay from Bodufa village.

Concerned family members informed Narinjara News thatthose youths were fraudulently recruited and later sold to the brokers on 1July by an agent named Baitaya from Khaung Dukkar village under Sittwetownship.

The family members were informed that they would get the jobs inRathedaung township.

Mar Mauk Solin’s mother said that her son went toRathedaung in search of work. Then he and others were trapped by the brokers.

The family sources claimed that they were sold to USao Maudein hailing from Kudin Pai village. Now he demands Kyats 5 million fortheir release.

Another poor mother stated that they have no money topay. They survive with poverty.

Now the trafficker threatens to kill them if theamount is not paid. She could talk to her son once, when he informed that theyare now in Pegu and waiting for supports from the families.

The affected families have approached the responsibleauthorities, including the anti-trafficking centers in Sittwe and a case wasalso registered at city police station on 12 August, but still no action istaken against Sao Maudein.

Earlier, three Muslim students from Kyin Ni Byintrefugee camp in Pauk Taw township were abducted in July. The kidnappersdemanded Kyats 10 million from the families. They are also in trouble as thepoor families could not pay the ransom.

Most of the Muslims in Rakhine State live in specified villages and refugee camps onthe outskirts of city areas due to the conflicts that surfaced in 2012. Theyhave been living with no freedom of movements for more than a decade now. Thetraffickers often target the Muslim youths and try to lure them with jobs.Finally they abduct and send the youths to their planned destination.

Caption: Photo of Mar Mauk Solin