Buthidaung, Arakan State: The Buthidaung Water Festival Program of the Burmese New Year was suddenly shut down due to the behaviour of some army personnel on April 16, according to local sources.
The Water Festival Program is controlled by a local committee and the authority, with some conditions, in case a person wants to pour water on a woman on a stage, the source said.
Shwe Thazine stage is situated in the Tactical Operation Commander’s (TOC) compound. Most of the army personnel were enjoying the festival in this area as it is their station. The water festival program began from April 15, and was supposed to close at 5:00 pm in the evening on April 18, within the program day, said an officer from TOC.
On the first day (April 15), Sergeant Aung Naing Oo and four other army personnel, came to the stage and tried to pour water on a girl on the stage. The army personnel behaved in an unsuitable manner, said a visitor from the town.
The girl, Ma Aye Mya (18), hailed from number one quarter of Buthidaung near TOC and informed to the committee about the incident and also the Rakhine Youth Association of Buthidaung. The association ordered the Rakhine community not to go to the stage during the water festival. So, the Rakhine community boycotted the festival. The authority also ordered closure of the program to avoid clashes between the locals and the army, the source from TOC said.
The Water Festival Program was closed from April 16, said a school teacher from Buthidaung.
In Maungdaw, the water festival program was conducted smoothly and there were no clashes between the authority and the local Rakhine community. But, the concerned authority collected kyat 100,000 per Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) for Water Festival. Local Natala villagers were invited to Nagkura village to take part in the water festival. A stage was built in front of the Mosque of Maungdaw Town, so the people are disturbed to go to mosque for praying, said a local from Maungdaw.
