Junta forces arrest 20 Buthidaung locals

Narinjara News,  24 October 2022

At least 20 local residents of Buthidaung town market were arrested by the Myanmar military council forces on Sunday with no specific reason.

The arrested individuals are mostly Rakhine (Buddhist) and Muslim daily wage earners, tea shop owner and workers who were picked up by the military personnel and taken away by their vehicles. The reason for their arrest is still not known, said a local resident.

Over 20 soldiers arrived at the city market by the military vehicles at around 12 pm and took the residents away, added the resident.

Among the arrestees, there are seven Muslim villagers.

It is the first occasion, where the military personnel have arrested several local residents from Buthidaung, which is around 80 miles north of the State capital city of Sittwe. 

Two arrestees namely U Nay Kyauk Khay and U Naing U are identified as just ordinary porters.

"They were carrying fish-cans and were arrested without any fault of theirs. They were taken to number one military strategy based in Buthidaung,” asserted the resident.

As the Arakan (Rakhine) Army members have been fighting against the Myanmar forces in Buthidaung township too, the authority continues to be in tension for weeks.