Maungdaw, Arakan State: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been providing money to poor villagers, for agriculture projects, poultry and cattle farms in Maungdaw Township since 2007. But, this money is being siphoned off, said a village elder from Maungdaw town who did not want to be named. 

The UNDP provided money to the villagers in Maungdaw Township through a committee where necessary. They selected villages in Maungdaw Township for their projects. So, in 2007 and 2008,   they selected 80 villages for their projects, but this year, they extended their projects to 15 villages. So, in 2009, the UNDP members provided money to 105 villages in Maungdaw Township.

After providing money to the villagers, the UNDP members (committee members) recollected the money from the villagers after the end of the year. Some villagers had returned the money to the committee members and some did not. The committee members recollected money from the villagers after a false promise that they will provide money to the villagers next year. But, the committee members did not take the money from poor families.

The committee members had also declared to the villagers that a community fund will be established and all the money which was collected from the villagers will go to the said fund. But, no money was deposited to the fund, and all the recollected money was going to the pocket of committee members. In reality, the money paid by UNDP members is not allowed to be collected again. The committee members did not submit any documents to the concerned villagers regarding the UNDP money, said a schoolteacher in Maungdaw Township.

The committee members kept a clerk after they united three to four villages into one group. The committee members misused the money helped by the clerk. Hla Pru Sein (70) of Maungdaw Town is responsible for 7 villages of Maungdaw north, said a student from Maungdaw north. 

“We want to request the higher authorities to look into the matter as it is very important,” said a local villager on condition of anonymity.