The military junta is persuading prisoners, including those serving long sentences and detainees from police cells in Sittwe Prison in Arakan State, for military service, sources close to the prison report.
Prison staff and police have been recruiting inmates serving lengthy sentences and detainees held on various charges since January for military service, according to these sources.
“They’re mainly targeting those serving 10 or 20-year sentences, people who might face death sentences while in prison. They tell them they could be released if they serve in the military. For detainees, they say police investigations and sentencing could take a long time, but they might be freed if they join the military now. They’re not forcing anyone – it’s more like persuasion,” said a source close to the prison.
An Arakanese military analyst suggests that the junta is planning to use these civilian prisoners as cannon fodder for the battle in Sittwe due to their depleting military strength on multiple fronts.
“No matter how much they increase their numbers or use them in military operations, people with just 45 days of training can’t fight effectively. This recruitment of prisoners – I see it as just preparing cannon fodder,” he said.
The prison reportedly holds inmates transferred from Buthidaung Prison. There are concerns about the prisoners’ health and medical care as they have lost contact with their families and may lack adequate medical supplies.
The junta has been arbitrarily arresting young and middle-aged people from Sittwe’s wards and villages in the township since the renewed Arakan conflict began on 13 November 2023.
Some arrestees have been sentenced under various charges, while some younger detainees were taken for interrogation, with many still missing without contact to this day.
Family members of detainees report that thousands are held in Sittwe Prison and various police station cells across the city.
While some have been released after paying bribes to police, others remain detained without formal charges. Local residents report that the junta is suffering heavy casualties in the ongoing battles around Sittwe.
Sent by Narinjara.
