Arakan State Happenings From March 1-15

16 Mar 2021

1 March 

• The Associate Secretary of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) U Kyaw Kyaw Linn, residents Ko Hlaing Min Tun (aka) Thar Gyi and Ko Zar Nay Htoo were charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law over an anti-coup protest that took place in Taungup Township, Arakan State, on February 28.
• Three members of the Northern Alliance — the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) — announce a one-month unilateral ceasefire from March 1 to 31.
• Four residents of Thandwe Township — U Khin Maung, Ko Yan Paing Htwe, Ko Aung Khaing Myint and Ma Mya Win — were sued under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, and Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law over their alleged role in a mass demonstration against the military coup.
  

2 March

• U Nay Win San, deputy editor-in-charge of DMG, and Hnin Nwe, a female DMG journalist, were arraigned for a second time after Major Phone Myint Kyaw opened a lawsuit against the duo under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, and an additional charge for defamation.
  

3 March

• The Rakhine Ethnics Congress (REC) conducted landmine risk education in Minbya, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Buthidaung and Mrauk-U townships with the financial support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
• U Wai Thaung, vice chairman of Taungup Township’s Arakan National Party; U Zeya Kyaw, chairman of the township development committee; U San Ngwe, former chairman of the township development committee; and Ko Sithu Kyaw Zan aka Ko Michael, all of whom were charged under Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, appeared before the Taungup Township Court.
• U San Shwe Kyaw, chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Sittwe, resigns from the party due to health problems, sending a resignation letter to the district/township election commission, district executive committee and political parties on the same day.
  

4 March

• A people’s administrative body is formed by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) in Arakan State, announcing the establishment of the Gwa Township body on the Facebook page of U Nyi Pu, who is currently detained. The rival administrative body’s formation is not legitimate, Myanmar’s military-run Arakan State Administrative Council says.
• The detained former Chief Minister of Arakan State U Nyi Pu, who has been sued under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, appears via video link for a court hearing in Sittwe for the second time.
• U Tet Tun Aung, a former Upper House MP and member of the Central Committee of the Arakan National Party (ANP) in Pauktaw Township, resigns from the party due to the party leadership’s participation in the junta’s State Administration Council (SAC).
• Two children are seriously injured when an explosive remnant of war (ERW) blows up in Pelthadu village, Rathedaung Township, on the morning of March 4, according to family members of the victims. The blast wounds an 8-year-old boy in the chest, head and limbs, and his 10-year-old brother is injured by shrapnel in his chest.
• Local police arrest a 21-year-old man on suspicion of attempting to rape an 11-year-old boy from Myoma Ward in Gwa Township, Arakan State.

5 March

• Ko Kyaw Naing Htay, Ko Oo Than Naing, Ko Mrat Soe Win and Ko Kaung Tun — who have been charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, as well as Section 29 of the Natural Disaster Management Law — appear before the Sittwe Township Court for the first time.
• The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacks a Tatmadaw engineering battalion truck near Wai Lar Taung village in Maungdaw Township, killing Thet Tun Aung, an officer from No. 942 Engineering Battalion and workers Ko Htay Win, 18, and Ko San Yin, 17.
• Twelve civilians out of 15 who were arrested in April 2020 at a military checkpoint while transporting government-supplied rice for internally displaced people (IDPs) from a township administrator’s office in Kyauktaw Township are acquitted.
• Power outages are reported across Myanmar, including in Arakan State, from 1:05 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

6 March

• Three houses, a school and an office are engulfed in a fire in Chaungkauk Ward, Taungup Township. Thirteen homes and two motorcycles are burned to ashes in a fire in Naykar New village in Ann Township.

7 March

• A 60-year-old Arakanese Buddhist monk Ashin Kussala, who is also a well-known historian and poet and resides in Aungmyaythazi Monastery in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, succumbs to pneumonia.
• About 200 people in Gwa Township march through the township sports grounds, chanting slogans against the military dictatorship in an anti-military protest.
• U Oo Hla Htay, a teacher from a basic education high school in Kyeinchaung village goes missing and is found with many injuries. He is currently receiving medical treatment at Minbya Hospital.
• Police arrest four students for participating in an educational talk on a platform near Sittwe ViewPoint Beach in Sittwe. Two of the four students — Ko Khaing Soe Lin and Ko Phone Phyo — are released at about 7:30 p.m. on the same day but two others — Ko Aung Min Tun and Ko Tun Lin — stay held in police custody.

8 March 

• U Nyi Pu Chay, 27, from the village of Sanyin in Myebon Township, loses one of his legs in the blast of an unexploded ordnance.
• Authorities start checking houses for overnight guests in Manaung, in accordance with the overnight guest registration regulation reintroduced by the military’s governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC).
• Women Generation, celebrating International Women’s Day, organizes a campaign that they called “Our Sarong, Our Flag, Our Victory” at Sittwe Beach.
• About 1,500 Arakanese internal migrants return from Yangon to Arakan as their livelihoods are affected by anti-coup protests taking place daily in the commercial capital.

9 March 

• Following the SAC’s ban on five media outlets, independent journalists urge the press to continue to do their job, saying the military council is illegitimate.
• In Taungup Township, former Arakan State lawmaker U Min Aung of the National League for Democracy (NLD), township NLD chairman U Tin Thein Aung and party member Ko Than Zin Phyo are charged under Section 25 of Natural Disaster Management Law and Section 19 of Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law at the township court for participating in anti-coup protests.
• Security forces cut down large trees in the compound of the Maha Muni Buddha Image in Kyauktaw, drawing criticism from local residents.

10 March 

• Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army (AA) hold talks on clearance of landmines in mountains and forests where the fighting took place in Arakan State, according to the state administrative council member Colonel Min Than.
• The central executive committee of the Arakan National Party convenes a two-day closed-door meeting.
• The Kyaukphyu District Court acquits eight villagers from Myebon Township who were charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law.
• District-level government employees in the state are vaccinated against COVID-19 at the No. 2 Basic Education High School in Sittwe.
• Six are injured in explosions of landmines and other explosives since Myanmar’s military began clearing landmines in Arakan State on February 15.
• The SAC issues arrest warrant for U Myo Kyaw, general secretary of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), for allegedly inciting government employees to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in protest of the military regime.

11 March 

• The Central Committee for Counterterrorism removes the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA)/AA from its list of terrorist organisations.
• Two Rathedaung residents who allegedly carried around 600,000 Ya Ba tablets under the cover of watermelons are arrested at Kyee Kan Pyin military checkpoint in Maungdaw.
• Arakan State Administrative Council announces that passenger vessels will resume operation between Sittwe, Kyauktaw and Chin State’s Paletwa in order to facilitate commodity flows and transportation.
• Ø At a meeting of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) of ethnic signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), PPST acting leader General Yawd Serk expresses condolences for civilians killed by security forces in violent crackdowns on peaceful anti-coup protesters, vowing to fight together with the people to put military dictatorship to an end.

12 March 

• ANP policy leadership committee member U Pe Than tells DMG that the party, according to a decision reached at its second party conference in 2019, has allowed Dr. Aye Maung to resign from the party.
• The NCA signatories — Karen National Union, Chin National Front, All Burma Students Democratic Front, Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council, Pa-O National Liberation Organization, Arakan Liberation Party, Restoration Council of Shan State, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, New Mon State Party, Lahu Democratic Union — will cooperate with the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), says Gen. Yawd Serk during a PPST meeting.
• A vigil is held at Nay Pu Khan IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township for those who died in the fighting in Arakan.
• ANP spokesman U Pe Than said the party would either cooperate or distance itself from the SAC depending on whether the military council is willing to meet the ANP’s demands. The party has demanded that it be given a chairman position and two seats on the Arakan State Administration Council.
• Arakan State Administration Council member Col. Min Than says it all depends on DMG for authorities to drop lawsuits against the editor-in-chief and reporters of the news agency.
• In response to criticism against military deployments in police stations and on hills on which pagodas and stupas exist, Col. Min Than said the military has no plan to withdraw deployments from those areas as it is still in the process of building trust with the AA.
• Authorities say the Arakan State Administration Council and family members of the Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air Force) would provide assistance to rebuild houses that were destroyed or damaged in fighting over the past two years.
• Seven houses are reduced to ashes in Sittwe’s Magyimyaing Ward in what is being described as a case of arson.
• The ANP says it has put seven demands to the SAC, and most of its demands have been fulfilled.

13 March 

• IDPs and camp managers call on military deployments to withdraw from villages so that IDPs can return to their homes.