Junta arrests dozens of Arakanese in Ayeyarwady Region for alleged AA links

By DMG 05 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
5 May 2022, Haigyi Island, Ayeyarwady Region 

Myanmar’s military regime has arrested dozens of Arakanese people from coastal villages near Haigyi Island in Ayeyarwady Region’s Ngaputaw Township on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA), according to residents. 

The junta has been making the arrests in Kanyinchaung, Annawah, Zeephyugaung and Haigyi villages since April 19, with at least 40 people detained since then, locals said. 

“Some Arakanese villagers were arrested for allegedly attending a military training course conducted by the Arakan Army. All detainees are Arakanese people,” a resident of Ngarpyayma village told DMG on condition of anonymity. 

About 15 of the detainees, including one woman, were released on May 1, while the rest are being held at the Haigyi Island Naval Base and are not being allowed to contact family members, according to locals. 

The Myanmar military is conducting house-to-house inspections in Haigyi town and nearby villages, forcing residents to flee, said a local from Annawah village who did not want to be named. 

“As a result of these arrests, locals no longer live on Haigyi Island. The Myanmar military searched every house in Haigyi town and arrested the suspects. Now the locals are afraid to gather, and hide in convenient places for fear of being arrested by the Myanmar military,” the unnamed resident added. 

DMG has not been able to independently confirm locals’ claims that several Arakanese people in Ayeyarwady Region have been detained by the military junta in recent days. 

DMG repeatedly attempted to contact Major-General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the Myanmar regime, for comment on the matter, but he could not be reached. 

It has been more than a year since the Arakan Army was removed from the military government’s list of terrorist groups, but arrests on suspicion of being linked to the ethnic armed group continue.