Campaign calls for justice in murder of young Sittwe woman

By DMG 25 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
25 August 2022, Sittwe

A poster campaign aimed at identifying the perpetrator or perpetrators in the case of a young woman who was stabbed to death was launched in the Arakan State capital Sittwe near the government offices on Thursday.

The campaigners showcased placards bearing the message, “If injustice does not concern you today, it will knock on your door tomorrow.”

Campaigners have also demanded that the perpetrator(s) in the case of the young woman who was stabbed to death on August 15 be identified as soon as possible.

It was immediately clear which group had organised the campaign, but a DMG reporter saw leaflets with the picture of the deceased woman pasted on the main road and on power poles along Minbargyi Road in Sittwe.

“The police can prosecute, and this is no time to sit back and be quiet. It’s time for everyone to join in and take action against the perpetrator,” said the secretary of the Arakan Women’s Network, Ma Saw Mya Thandar.

The 18-year-old victim was found dead by family members, with two stab wounds to her neck, in a shop near the government offices in Sittwe on August 15.

The chairman of the Sittwe University Students’ Union, Ko Aung Hsan, said the occurrence of such crimes in the Arakan State capital was particularly concerning.

“Now the situation is quite alarming. Sittwe is the city where the local government’s administrative mechanism is located. The fact that such crimes occur in Sittwe is attributed to the poor administration of the government. We also demand justice for the death of this young woman and the identification of the perpetrator as soon as possible,” he added.

Both police and the Arakan Army (AA) have reportedly launched probes into the young woman’s death, but no perpetrator has yet been identified.

U Myat Tun, director of Arakan Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Association, said the military council is not paying enough attention to the investigation of such crimes in Arakan State.

“Regarding the death of the young woman, the United League of Arakan, the political wing of the Arakan Army, acted with care, but the military council did not care a bit. Those who commit crimes are always trying to commit crimes,” he added.

Crimes including theft, robbery and murder have recently been reported in some townships in Arakan State. More than 10 people have been stabbed to death in Sittwe so far this year, according to figures compiled by social organisations.