Five people arrested for suspected of involvement with AA

17 Jul 2019

Kyaw Thu Htay | DMG

17 July, Sittwe

Five people from Ponnagyun Township have been arrested on 15 July for suspicion of having ties with the Arakan Army (AA).

A security force searched a vehicle driven by Ko Kyaw Myint from Zedi Nan village. The vehicle was carrying Ko Min Naing Htay and Maung Oo Nyein Wai from Yoetayote village. The team performed the search near Kan Sauk village in Kyauktaw Township and found a gun and bullets, a knife, five mobile phones and 2000 tablets of psychotropic drugs the Tatamadaw said in a statement on 16 July.

According to their statement during interrogation, law enforcement agents raided the house of U Tun Win from Yoetayote village on suspicion of involvement with the AA. The team seized a mobile phone that stored photos and videos related to the AA, money transfer receipts and drug paraphernalia. The agents arrested U Tun Win and U Than Shwe at the house, the Tatmadaw said.

Ma Ni Ni San, younger sister of U Tun Win, told the DMG that she had not known where her brother was detained and she wished her brother was released because he was a good person.

“Our family is going through a living hell. We can’t do anything. We have no power to respond to (the situation). We hope our family member will be released soon,” Ma Ni Ni San said.

The Tatmadaw announced that the arrested people have been transferred to Kan Sauk and Yoetayote police stations and are proceeding to take action according to the law.

The Tatmadaw said over 90 people have been detained in Arakan State because they have alleged affiliations with the AA. The Tatmadaw has been investigating some villages on the suspicion that AA members have posing as villagers.

Meanwhile, the number of civilian deaths while in the Tatmadaw’s custody has reached 15. This has warranted widespread criticism from Arakanese people and political parties. This comes in the wake of the Tatmadaw’s announcement to set up an investigation tribunal as of 12 July to prove the truth regarding the death of civilians during interrogation.