Regime arrests Muslim administrator over alleged ARSA links

By Admin 02 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
2 October 2023, Maungdaw

An administrator from Kyetyoepyin Village, part of Arakan State’s Maungdaw Township, was reportedly arrested by members of the junta’s Border Guard Force on Sunday on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

The detained Muslim administrator has been identified as U Arnuwah, 42. He was arrested by police from the Nganchaung border police outpost and was taken to the No. 7 Border Guard Police unit based in Kyeinchaung.

“He was phoned to come to the Border Guard Police outpost for questioning. At 11 a.m. on October 1, he was taken to the No. 7 Border Guard Police unit based in Kyeinchaung in a police vehicle,” said the wife of U Arnuwah.

The village administrator was then transferred to Maungdaw, where he is reportedly being interrogated by Military Intelligence officers.

“He [the village administrator] was summoned to the Border Guard Police outpost and arrested on suspicion of having links with ARSA. He was accused of providing food and information about the military to ARSA,” a local man from Kyetyoepyin Village told DMG.

Family members said the village administrator was being accused without any evidence of communication with ARSA, and that they were worried that he would be beaten and otherwise harshly interrogated.

“It is just an accusation that he provided food and information about the military to ARSA. There are no ARSA members in my village and they [ARSA members] never enter our village. I think that someone who is not satisfied with him has filed such a complaint with the police,” said a family member of the accused.

DMG phoned Arakan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Kyaw Thura regarding the matter, but he could not be reached.

The Arakan Army (AA) has taken measures since August to prevent the infiltration of ARSA members into Muslim villages in Buthidaung Township, according to residents.