Junta tightens security in Sittwe following assassination of three ALP officials

By Admin 04 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
4 July 2023, Sittwe

The regime has stepped up security in Sittwe’s Mingan Ward after three senior Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) officials were shot dead on Saturday, with junta soldiers and police personnel deployed to patrol the ward on Tuesday.

“At least junta soldiers and police armed with RPGs were seen near the junction leading to Sittwe’s Mingan Ward. They [junta soldiers and police] did not conduct security checks on locals and passersby. Seeing them with weapons made us worry,” said a young man in Mingan Ward who did not want to be named for security reasons.

Three people were killed and three others were wounded in a shooting at the railroad tracks near Sittwe University in Mingan Ward on July 1.

Since the assassination of top ALP leaders, the military has been guarding ALP Chairwoman Saw Mra Razar Lin’s home in Sittwe’s Mingan Ward, and a military truck has been stationed near Sittwe University, where the shooting took place. Junta soldiers are also patrolling with military vehicles in Sittwe at night.

“Junta soldiers are stationed near Daw Saw Mra Razar Lin’s home and provide security for her. Locals are going about as usual,” said a local man from Mingan Ward.

The gunmen who shot dead the three ALP members in Mingan Ward were members of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), the Sittwe-based ALP alleged in a statement on July 2.

The slain ALP officials have been identified as the vice chairman of the ALP’s military wing, the Arakan Liberation Army (ALA), Khaing Ni Aung; battalion commander Khaing Kyaw Min; and Private Kyaw Kyaw Naing.

U Khaing Thukha, spokesman for the ULA/AA, refuted those allegations. “This is a baseless allegation. We have absolutely nothing to do with this matter,” he told DMG.

ALP Brigadier-General Khaing Soe Mya, Khaing Kyaw Soe and Thurein Htet were assassinated in Sittwe’s Setyonsu Ward on January 4.

At that time, the AA responded to the ALP’s claim that the attack was carried out by the ULA/AA by similarly calling it a baseless allegation.