- Web Master
- April 14, 2024
Narinjara News, 12
March 2023
The military council troops and the subordinate police
forces are collectively joining
public awareness programs in rural areas belonging
to Kyaukphyu township of Rakhine State urging the locals to avoid engaging with the United League
of Arakan (ULA) and its armed wing
Arakan Army (AA) during the ceasefire period.
Presently, a group of 30 soldiers and police personnel are
roaming around the villages of Zinchaung since February to encourage
the villagers to go to the police
stations rather than getting involved with
the ULA whenever a crime takes place, informed a resident of Wat
Taw Pyin Kyee Tway village under Zinchaung district.
"They addressed the villagers in various monasteries
and asked them not to contact the
ULA. They also provided medical treatments to the villagers and then propagated their ideas,” he added.
The group visited villages like Wat Taw Pyin Kyee Tway, Wat Taw Pyin Kone Bao, A Lal Thit, Kin Pin Le Nar, and Kin Aung Zayya, etc.
Sometimes, they served Mohinga, a traditional cuisine, to
the participants. The troops came
from the Kyaukphyu-based 34th infantry battalion of the military council.
“The movement of soldiers also scared many villagers as they
may detain or arrest more of
them,” said a resident of Wat Taw Pyin Kyee
Tway.
Another resident assumed that the soldiers and police
personnel were campaigning with in
an aim to improve their public images.
On the 27 February press conference by ULA/AA leaders,
spokesperson U Khaing Thu Kha
noted that the Rakhine State, which is presently experiencing a relative peaceful ambience, has been witnessing
the evil design of military rulers
in various townships like Taungup and
Thandwe where thy termed ULA/AA as illegal entities.
He issued a stern warning that if the military council does
not stop its propaganda against
ULA/AA, the conflict may erupt once again in the region.
“If the Myanmar army does not desist from such actions, and the situation deteriorates further, it could potentially escalate into armed conflict at any given moment,” he stated.
The military government and AA leaders ceased the hostilities, but in 2022 the armed conflicts erupted again
leading to intense gunfightings at
least for four months.
Later Yohei Sasakawa, the Japanese government’s special representative, on 26 November reached
both parties for an informal ceasefire
agreement.
However, the military council continues harassing the Rakhine people in various forms. Moreover, the locals alleged that
additional deployment of troops
and ammunition also seen in Rakhine State in recent days.