Junta arrests 70 civilians from Sittwe

Shin Min Zan, Narinjara News, 16 September 2024

Many civilians in Shwe Pyar ward of Sittwe township of  Arakan State were arrested by the junta forces in the afternoon hours of 13 September, said local residents.

"At around 3 pm, over 70 people were arrested from our ward. More than 30 junta soldiers used  seven military vehicles to take them away,” said an eyewitness from Shwe Pyar.

The arrested residents include  U Oo Thar Kyaw (66 years old), Ko Palar Too (40), Ko Kyoe Kyar (18),  Ko Kyoe Kyar’s father (40), Ko Maung Myo (40), Ko Nadi (40), etc.

They were arrested from  Shwe Pyar ward as well as all the way from the nurse's housing near Sittwe post office to Strand road.

The whereabouts of those arrested are yet to be revealed, he added.

Narinjara News contacted Sittwe township police station and Myoma police station about the arrests, but they did not respond. Hence the exact number of people arrested cannot be confirmed.

Currently, there has been no fighting in Sittwe’s urban areas. However, since the fighting erupted between the junta soldiers and  Arakan Army (AA) fighters on 29 August in Min Hla village, the situation turned tense. AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha reported that more than 30 bodies of junta soldiers were recovered and over 50 arms were seized in the fighting.

As the situation remains tense, the junta and police personnel are arresting civilians for different reasons. Some of the arrested individuals were forced to pay bribes. The rest have gone missing with no contact with their families.

On 29 May, the junta soldiers raided Byine Phyu village and arrested several residents. Out of those detained, 76 were brutally killed and over 300 were taken to the 20th infantry battalion.

The junta has strengthened its military presence across Sittwe. It has even erected fencing along Strand road and the soldiers are tightening the security net over the pedestrians.

They have also taken a large number of residents hostage and blocked the town to prevent anyone from leaving their places.