Narinjara News, 16 November 2022 

A battalion commander of the Military Council has allegedthat out of more than 70 ward and rural administrative officials in ThandweTownship in Rakhine State, about 50 of them have ties to the United League ofArakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA).

The commander of the 566th Battalion based in Ngapali has threatened to arrest and prosecutethose accused if they continue to be associated with ULA/AA.

A village administrative official who did not want to benamed said, “The armycalled a meeting and warned theadministrative officials. There are a total of 72 administrative officials inThandwe. They accused about 50 ofthem of having ties to the ULA/AA. The commander of the 566th InfantryBattalion threatened to arrest andtake harsh action, if the administrative officials did not sever thesecontacts. From the rural and wardlevels to the township administrative officials were all warned.”

“Almostall the administrative officials are worried about their security after thebattalion commander made such athreat in the meeting in the first week of November. Right now there are toomany arrests in the region soeveryone is worried,” he said.

Locals added that “ the 566th Battalion, based in Ngapali,forced entry and search of housesassumed to be related to ULA/AA in villages and wards in Thandwe, andarrested some suspects.”

Currently, hundreds of people have been arrested in Thandwe,Taungup, Ann, Maei and Kyaukphyu accusedby the Military Council of being linked to the ULA/AA.

At the moment, ULA/AA’s ability to spread its influence is still low in Thandwe.

One Thandwe resident commented,”the military command fears that the Dwarawati Thandwe region will eventuallyfall under the territorial controlof ULA or AA in the long run, so this is may the reason they are cracking downnow.”

He continued,“I think they are trying hard to prevent Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, Taungup andGwa

Townships from joining the ULA/AA side. At present, theykeep searching from house to house and makingarrests in the region. All the people are in a state of panic.”