Thandwe woman arrested over alleged links to anti-regime forces

By Admin 09 Dec 2023

DMG Newsroom
9 December 2023, Thandwe

A local woman from Ward-1 in Thandwe, Arakan State, was arrested for disrupting national stability on December 7, the junta-controlled Myanmar Alinn daily reported on Saturday.

Ma Mi Mi Khaing, the woman detained, has been using the “Mi Mi Khaing” Facebook account to spread propaganda with the aim of disrupting national stability, the military council alleges.

DMG continues to attempt to contact family members of Ma Mi Mi Khaing regarding the matter.

“The regime has arrested several residents across Arakan State for various reasons and charged them with various counts. Local people live in fear,” said a local man in Thandwe.

The regime has announced that CRPH, NUG, and their affiliates and individuals, which have been declared as terrorist groups, are carrying out incitement and propaganda in various ways with the aim of disrupting the peace and stability of the country.

Anyone who makes, shares, or assists in disseminating propaganda that will disturb the public can be charged under Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, Section 124(a) of the Penal Code, Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and/or Section 33(a) of the Telecommunications Law, the regime has said.

Since renewed fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) broke out on November 13, Myanmar’s military regime has arrested seven residents in Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, Ann and Thandwe on suspicion of spreading propaganda with the aim of disrupting national stability.

“The regime is targeting and oppressing activists who speak out against human rights abuses, which include unjustly arresting and killing people. The regime attempts to instill fear among the local people,” said a male activist in Arakan State.

Rakhine Daily, a mouthpiece of the Arakan State military council, said that those who re-share, copy, or comment on articles by Arakan State-based news outlets exposing the military regime’s human rights violations are candidates for action.

The military regime has accused Arakan State-based news outlets of spreading misinformation with the intention of fueling ethnic and military conflict.

“Arakan State-based media organisations report on the regime’s human rights abuses in real time. When the human rights violations committed by the regime cannot be completely covered up, the regime not only tries to arrest media workers, but also threatens news readers,” said a reporter in Arakan State.

The regime is accused of committing war crimes by opening heavy weapons and small arms firings on residential areas and carrying out arson attacks, detaining civilians on various unfounded pretexts, and raiding news outlets in Arakan State since renewed hostilities began on November 13.