11 male bodies recovered at Taungup beach in south Arakan

Kant Kaw Ni Ni, Narinjara News, 11 September 2024

At least 11 decomposed bodies of men were found drifting with the tide near Pan Tin Kyun (Island) beach and Ku Lar Yaung village under Taungup District at the southern part of  Arakan State,  where  arm clashes are going on for sometime between the junta soldiers and Arakan Army (AA) fighters, said local residents.

The bodies were seen on 10 and 11 September, a few miles west of Taungup town.

A local eyewitness reported that the bodies were found on Ku Lar Yaung beach (Aung Min Chaung village) and Sar Chaung beach, across  Ku Lar Yaung beach (Don Seik village).

Some bodies were recovered from Pan Tin Kyun beach, which is close to Ku Lar Yaung beach. The bodies found on Ku Lar Yaung beach were those of young people in their thirties.

One of the bodies had its head severed and most of the bodies were swollen. One body had a tattoo in Burmese reading ‘We must never lose’.

"The bodies found on Pan Tin Kyun beach were wearing sportswear,” added the eyewitness.

The villagers buried the bodies urgently  as the decomposition started.

It’s speculated that the bodies might be from the battle for  Maung Shwe Lay naval base (the last junta stronghold in Thandwe). A few days back, the  AA fighters captured the base but Narinjara News is yet to independently confirm it.

Photographs of those bodies cannot be presented due to internet connection issues at the location.

 On 24 July, during intense fighting at Ngapali beach in the Thandwe region, the residents discovered seven bodies in civilian clothes on the beach of Ku Lar Yaung village. Their legs were chained and some were blindfolded with lots of injuries.

Photograph: Ku Lar Yaung beach in the rainy season of 2023. The red circle marks the location where the bodies were recovered