Regime detains over 30 Thandwe residents sheltering in Ayeyarwady

By Admin 14 Aug 2024

DMG Newsroom
14 August 2024, Thandwe

Myanmar's military regime has arrested more than 30 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Arakan State's Thandwe Township who were taking shelter in Kyonpyaw Township, Ayeyarwady Region, according to sources.

They were detained when junta personnel searched households in the town of Kyonpyaw's Tar Thit Gyi Ward on August 9 to look for unregistered guests.

Thirty-three civilians from Thandwe Township were detained for allegedly failing to report to authorities about their presence in Kyonpyaw.

"All of them were from Thandwe Township. They were young people aged between 17 and 40, including women," said a Thandwe resident taking shelter in Ayeyarwady Region.

The 20 men and 13 women detained are being held at Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 32 in Kyonpyaw.

The regime has beefed up security and tightened checks in Ayeyarwady Region following recent clashes in Gwa Township, which borders Ayeyarwady.

One resident from Arakan State who is sheltering on Ayeyarwady Region's Haigyi Island said: "Apparently, the regime worries that fighting from Arakan State may spill into Ayeyarwady. Displaced people from Arakan State can't enter Ayeyarwady Region unless they have complete documents [confirming their identities]."

Fighting in Arakan State has been raging in Maungdaw and Thandwe townships, and has more recently spread to Gwa Township. More than 100,000 residents from Thandwe and Gwa townships have reportedly fled to Ayeyarwady Region and other parts of the country.