A/HRC/42/CRP.5 humanitarian aid.322 In some instances, members of the ethnic Rakhine community have sold the stolen materials on the market.323 162. An interviewee from Buthidaung Township explained how “the army would often come to the village, search houses for food and steal anything they could find”.324 The interviewee recounted how this, as well as other causes of food shortages, forced people to limit and share food for survival: Of the 500 households in my village tract, only a handful remained. Living conditions were difficult and people were surviving from sharing food. We would eat only when we had to. Residents ran out of food and consumed their food stocks.325 163. The Tatmadaw and ethnic Rakhine villagers also denied Rohingya people food by deliberately killing or confiscating livestock, including cattle, goats and chickens, without permission or payment, depriving Rohingya both of food and of income-generating opportunities.326 The military would hunt chickens with slingshots327 and confiscate cattle for failure to pay bribes. This was in addition to the requirement for Rohingya to register their cattle, sheep, goats, chicken and other animals with the authorities. The requirement to report and register new livestock was accompanied by extortion, confiscation of cattle or financial penalties.328 164. Food insecurity is made worse in northern Rakhine State by military and members of the ethnic Rakhine communities raiding or confiscating Rohingya-owned and cultivated lands.329 The military also reportedly leases out farmlands, formerly owned and cultivated by Rohingya, to local members of the ethnic Rakhine communities.330 In some cases, according to interviewees, the military confiscated land for personal economic benefit and made Rohingya cultivate and harvest the crops without compensation.331 An interviewee who fled Buthidaung Township in late 2018 stated: Military, police and members of ethnic Rakhine constantly came to the village and looted everything including food items. The military took away my seven cows that I was grassing in the hillside. I cultivated rice in my land, when it was ready for harvesting; members of ethnic Rakhine snatched the harvest. I was left with nothing except two goats, which I had to offer to the military for my release, as I was unable to pay them 100,000 Kyat. I was arrested at my home and after beating, they demanded 100,000 Kyat. 332 165. In some areas, the military ordered villagers not to cultivate their lands.333 A Rohingya from Buthidaung Township told the Mission that Rohingya cannot cultivate their lands and that access to food production activities worsened after the Government’s 2017 “clearance operations” explaining: The military and ethnic Rakhine occupied most of our lands and residents were ordered not to cultivate their lands…residents were starving and were on the brink of famine.. 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 54 FI-010, FI-026, CI-261, CI-288, CI-306, CI-287, CI-289, FI-031, FI-038. FI-010. FI-007. FI-007. CI-261, CI-288, CI-306, FI-010, FI-026. CI-288. FI-020, FI-042. CI-287, CI-289, FI-031, FI-038. Consultant Myanmar, UEHRD says Rakhine harvest will be returned to owners, available from https://consult-myanmar.com/2017/11/16/uehrd-says-rakhine-harvest-will-be-returned-to-owners/, The Irrawaddy, Rakhine Govt Undecided on How to Use Farmland Abandoned by Rohingya Refugees, available from https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/rakhine-govt-undecided-usefarmland-abandoned-rohingya-refugees.html. FI-029, FI-031. FI-007. FI-007, FI-010, FI-012, FI-018, FI-024, FI-25, FI-027, FI-028, FI-029, FI-031. FI-036, FI-038, FI046.