Military council soldiers deployed on ambush patrol arrested over 40 women, elderly, and children from Sittwe Township who were fleeing the conflict to Ponnagyun Township in Arakan State, according to sources familiar with the victims.
The detainees are local residents from Thein Tan and Narikan villages in Sittwe. While attempting to flee the war by traveling from their village to Ponnagyun Township around 9 PM on June 20, they were arrested by military council soldiers stationed at the Kyauk Tan Gyi checkpoint in Sittwe.
“They fled to safer locations out of fear that the military council might use them as human shields in case of conflict erupted in Sittwe. They departed at sunset. All children and adults were arrested by soldiers from Kyauk Tan Gyi checkpoint. We have lost contact with them,” he said.
Local residents from the villages in Sittwe Township are facing difficulties such as forced evictions, house demolitions, arbitrary arrests, torture, and extortion.
They are living in a state of misery. They were arrested while attempting to flee the war to another township, said a local woman.
“Even staying at home, we fear the risk of arrest. We are worried that the junta soldiers might demolish the village or homes. Families with young girls are particularly concerned. They are at risk of arrest if they attempt to flee to other places because they fear staying in the village,” said the local woman.
On 11 June, the junta’s naval force, stationed in the river below A Myint Kyun village, arrested 11 displaced locals from A Myint Kyun, Par Da Lake, and Aung Taing villages. Then, the naval force released four men and three women including a child and killed two men. The two women remain in detention.
The whereabouts of nine men from Aung Taing village and one man from Kyat Taw Pyin village, who were arrested by the military council on 4 and 13 June, remain unknown.
Between 1 and 22 June, over 200 people were arrested in Sittwe Township. Family members report that some have lost contact with their relatives, while others remain in detention.
Sent by Narinjara.