September 16, 2024

More than 70 residents from Sittwe, Rakhine State, including those from Shwe Pyiar ward, have been detained by the Myanmar junta for transporting food supplies and other goods since September 13. As of today, they have not been released, according to local sources.

Some of the detainees were involved in transporting goods to Pauktaw and Mrauk-U, while others were dockworkers and residents from the riverside areas near the Shwe Pyiar dock. Among those detained are also women, according to local residents.

“At around 3 PM on September 13, military trucks arrived and arrested them. Women and elders were among the detainees. We don’t know why they were arrested or where they were taken. When families contacted the No. 1 Police Station, they were not allowed any communication,” a Sittwe resident told New Day Myanmar.

Earlier in 2024, around 60 residents, including boat operators and fish sellers from the Shwe Pyiar area, were also arrested by the junta.

While the internet and phone lines remain functional in Sittwe, security measures around the city have tightened, especially along the riverside, where goods transportation has been restricted by the junta.

Reports indicate that those detained are being held at No. 1 Police Station in Sittwe, though families have not yet been allowed to contact them.

In late May, the junta raided Byone Phyu village near Sittwe and killed at least 76 villagers, including three women, according to a statement from the Arakan Army (ULA/AA). Additionally, at least 230 residents from Byone Phyu were sentenced to over three years in prison for alleged connections with the Arakan Army (AA) between August 30 and September 6.