Narinjara News, 10 June, 2025 

Local residents informed Narinjara that in Manaung Township, Rakhine State, still under Military Council control, the junta’s Navy has been attacking local fishing boats, assaulting fishermen, and demanding extortionate payments from them. 

A resident of Manaung informed Narinjara that a navy ship stationed in the Manaung Sea opened fire on and apprehended five fishing boats with fishermen from Manaung Township during the first week of June. 

They departed from Thit Pon Chaung village to go fishing. According to the fishermen I spoke to, there were five fishing vessels. The navy fired on the fishing vessels and detained the fishermen. “The navy appears to be a recent arrival from different naval bases,” he stated.

Previously, local fishermen had permission from a navy ship to fish in the ocean with the agreement of providing fish to the navy for sustenance, but the navy was absent and relocated elsewhere. 

The navy in the Manaung Sea is undergoing changes, and the new forces are detaining local fishermen while verifying their names, registrations, and family records. 

Furthermore, every fisherman is required to pay a bribe exceeding 1 million kyats. The navy requests this money and asks the family to come and retrieve it. A fisherman, who preferred to remain unnamed for safety reasons, informed Narinjara. 

Upon being caught, the fishermen undergo a series of inspections by naval officers. Beatings also occur during the interrogation. They request kickbacks. He stated, "Families will not be released unless they pay for their pickup." 

Fishermen reported that the heavy rains in Rakhine from May 26 to early June, caused by a depression over the Bay of Bengal, have compelled fishing boats to halt operations, making their livelihoods difficult. 

Following the intense rainfall, as they went back to the sea to fish because of the weather conditions, the navy reportedly fired upon and detained the fishermen and demanded money. 

Manaung Island is entirely governed by the military council, and there are three towns (Sittwe, Kyuak Phyu, and Maunaung) in Rakhine state that the Arakan Army (AA) has not yet seized. 

Local sources report that the military council has identified Manaung Township as a key maritime town and is intensifying military preparations there. 

In 2019, Manaung Township had a population of 57,000, consisting of over 130 villages and five urban wards, as reported by the military council's departments. According to residents, the majority of locals are involved in fishing, while some also participate in coconut farming and raising livestock.