A/HRC/39/CRP.2 set alight by local ethnic Rakhine, 2521 who also prevented Rohingya villagers attempting to put out the fire.2522 Rather than assisting, the BGP took a number of religious leaders to their base, where they were forced to sign a document stating that they had set the mosque alight themselves.2523 It appears that a number of religious items were destroyed, including Qur’ans and the religious garments of the Imam. 1124. During this period, Rohingya houses across the three townships of northern Rakhine State were frequently searched. The authorities confiscated sharp objects, including small knives and other implements used for cooking and harvesting. 2524 One woman noted, “They did not leave a single small tool, not even to clean fish”. 2525 These house searches were purportedly in relation to countering insurgent activities, but in practice they deprived Rohingya families of the tools and implements needed to conduct daily activities, and in some cases deprived them of their livelihood. One man noted: In July, soldiers came and took all of our sharp implements, such as knives, cleavers, etc. They only left us with the small scissors used for beetle nuts – this was all that we had to cut food to cook.2526 1125. On 9 June 2016, the General Administration Department, under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs, wrote to village administrators in Maungdaw Township regarding the zinc sheets commonly used by Rohingya around their properties. The letter cited a decision by the township management committee prohibiting this type of fence, but authorising the use of fencing with concrete poles and barbed wire. 2527 1126. Following the October 2016 violence, implementation of this administrative order accelerated. Rohingya villagers in northern Rakhine State were ordered to remove their fences from around their properties. This was widely implemented in the three townships, generally communicated by the ethnic Rakhine village administrator. In some instances, the village administrator was accompanied by security forces, with soldiers or police removing fences by force. Non-compliance with this order would often result in beatings and fines. 2528 An interviewee from Kha Maung Seik village tract, Maungdaw Township, reported: A few months before the August 2017 incident, the village chairman, an ethnic Rakhine, accompanied by the military, demanded us to remove the fences from the yards and around the houses. They visited the village together with the police three times in one month since the order of removing the fences was issued. The villagers who did not implement the order were beaten and had to pay fines to the chairman.2529 1127. While this measure was purportedly justified by “security considerations”, it greatly limited the ability of Rohingya to keep their homes private, which is of particular cultural importance. Villagers felt more vulnerable and exposed to intimidation and harassment by security forces and ethnic Rakhine, making it difficult for them to shelter safely in their own homes.2530 It also had a disproportionate impact on women, who felt particularly vulnerable and insecure, as bathing and toilet facilities were often located within those fences in the compounds of the houses.2531 One young Rohingya woman explained that it was difficult for her to go to the bathroom after the fences had been removed. She described it as having to 2521 2522 2523 2524 2525 2526 2527 2528 2529 2530 2531 CI-145, CI-178, LI-129. CI-145, LI-129. CI-145, CI-178. BI-001, CI-044, CI-048, CI-100, CI-118, CI-119, CI-122, CI-182, LI-023, LI-053, LI-054, LI-066, LI-105, QI-002, QI-014, QI-052, QI-061, QI-069, RI-006, RI-007, WI-002, WI-027, WI-031, WI032, YI-003, YI-010. CI-118. QI-069. K-076.41. CI-044, CI-046, CI-048, CI-112, CI-115, CI-118, CI-120, LI-105, QI-110, QI-111, YI-019, YI-025. CI-048. K-104. A/HRC/34/67. 265