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Arakanese residents under junta controlled areas face extortion

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Thinzar Nwe, Narinjara News, 26 October 2024

 

In various towns of Arakan State namely Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, Manaung, Ann,Taungup, and Gwa, which are still under the control of military junta, theresidents are experiencing extortion by junta officials in different forms.

 

In the Arakanese capital city of Sittwe, the residents alleged thatjunta officials are blatantly arresting civilians and extorting money under thepretense of inspecting the overnight guest lists and household records.

 

“There are arrests reported daily from Sittwe. The junta soldierscompel the people to open their houses to check the overnight guest lists.Then the soldiers pick up the individuals for ransoms.  At least Kyats onemillion is needed to release one person. Sometimes, they demand more money forrelease of the detainees,” said a resident of Sittwe.

 

Those who cannot pay the ransom, they are arrested, tortured and evendetained for a longer period accusing their links to the Arakan Army (AA).

 

“Everyone is now scared. The people get scared when they hear the knockat doors during the night hours. It’s even worse in Mingan ward, where thesoldiers arrest individuals arbitrarily,” he added.

 

A female resident of Kyaukphyu. second largest city of Arakan state,informed Narinjara News that soon after the banking operations were suspendedin their town, the money transfer services run by civilians were allowed tooperate but they had to pay illegal fees to the juntas’ military intelligenceunit (SaYaPha).

 

Sheadded that if they do not pay the fees, they face the risk of arresting withfictitious reasons.

 

“If we want to operate KBZPay and WavePay services, we can only do soafter notifying them. We pay extortion fees as much as they demand. If weoperate without their knowledge, it is considered illegal. They can arrestpeople anytime under the pretext of supporting the AA,” she said.

 

Narinjara News tried to contact KBZPay and WavePay agents to inquireabout the extortion fees each month, but could not reach them.

 

Additionally, at Kyauk Ta Lone checkpoint, which controls entry and exitfrom the town, the junta officials demand significant amounts of money fromthose wishing to enter Kyaukphyu. If they do not pay, they are denied entry.

 

“People are not allowed to enter or exit Kyaukphyu freely. If you needto go to Kyaukphyu for even health reasons, junta soldiers at the checkpointdemand Kyats 100,000. If you don’t pay, you won’t be allowed to move. You canenter  only after paying the particular amount to the junta officials,”she added.

 

In Kyaukphyu, the residents reported that both the entry and exit arerestricted now and a fee for passage is claimed.

 

In Manaung, only a remaining town of AA’s attack in Arakan state , thejunta has strictly prohibited travelling  outside the area, which compelsthe residents to pay money to the junta’s navy forces stationed at the sea.

 

“They are unpredictable. Sometimes they allow travelling but oftenimpose a complete ban. If you’re caught traveling during the ban, you may be arrested. When the  travel is permitted, they demand betweenKyats 1 to 3 millions for a boat. For cargo boats, they may charge more thanKyats 3 million,” asserted a resident of Manaung.

 

Similarly, in Gwa too, the junta soldiers are extorting money at themilitary checkpoints.

 

“If you go through the checkpoints, you have to pay whatever amount theyask. They charge differently for motorcycles, cars, and others,” he added.

 

The junta forces also arbitrarily arrest individuals in Gwalocality.  The junta currently controls the Arakanese towns namely Manaung, Kyaukphyu, Gwa, Sittwe, Ann, and Taungup.

 

The residents expressed resentments that the people living in townscontrolled by the junta  remain in a bad condition facing the extortionmenace regularly.

 

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