August 10th, 2022
Locals are facing livelihood difficulties as the military council troops are stationed and are carrying out inspections in the villages in Arakan State.
“Locals worry and find it difficult to go to their worksites as the soldiers stationed in Zinchaung village in Kyaukphyu Township are wandering around the village,” U Kyaw Lwin, former Arakan State MP from Kyaukphyu Township said.
“The people don’t dare to go outside at 8 pm as the Myanmar army carries out patrolling and inspections. The poor don’t dare to pick vegetables and catch fishes even in the daytime. If this situation continues, the poor may face livelihood difficulties,” he continued.
Most of the rural people in Arakan State have to rely on wood cutting, bamboo cutting and vegetable picking in the forests, farming and fishing.
A farmer who declined to be named from MraukU Township said: “Our farmers are facing difficulties. Soldiers inspect us when we go to the paddy field to transplant paddy. We feel worried and unsafe although we haven’t done anything wrong.”
The military council soldiers are carrying out the inspections at Ngwetaungpauk checkpoint, Alezay junction, Shitthaung Temple junction, Minthar Island and Light Infantry Battalion-540 in MraukU Township, locals say.
A town elder said: “Locals fled to safer places due to the military council troops’ inspections in some villages in Kyauktaw Township. The reason why we go into hiding when the soldiers enter the village is they arrest the public instead of those who do something wrong.”
As a military column of over 100 junta soldiers entered Taungpauk village in Kyauktaw Township on August 9th, all the people from the village fled to safer places, according to locals.
Likewise, the flow of commodities faces a delay due to the tightened inspections by the Myanmar army at the inspection gates along the road.
A local from Rathaedaung said: “It can be said that the military is making a threat to the locals. They feel unsafe and cannot go freely although they don’t do anything wrong. The people have to go to the workplaces in fear as they don’t know when they will be inspected and where they will get arrested.”
Locals face difficulties as the Myanmar army is carrying out inspections and restrictions of the people who use waterways in Arakan State.
Arakan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Col Kyaw Thura is unavailable for comment on tightened inspections.
There has been no fighting between the military council troops and the Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State for over one year. However, tension continues to mount in Arakan State.