Junta searches studios in Sittwe

By Admin 09 Dec 2023

DMG Newsroom
9 December 2023, Sittwe

Junta troops have been searching some recording studios in Sittwe town, Arakan State, for allegedly producing songs promoting the Arakan Army (AA), forcing studio owners and Arakanese singers into hiding, according to those familiar with the matter.

Junta troops searched Shin Linn Studio in Poe Thar Ward at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The regime also reportedly searched other studios.

“They are searching studios allegedly for producing nationalist songs related to the AA,” said a studio owner in Sittwe town.

Almost all the studios have shut down due to the junta’s raids. “Studios are the place where we create songs. It is a form of art, and not an attack on the regime,” said an Arakanese singer.

The regime is also reportedly searching for some Arakanese singers for allegedly having ties with the AA. During the years of calm in Arakan State between late 2020 and mid-2022, some Arakanese singers performed at events organised by the AA.

“They should view art as it is,” said another studio owner.

The regime has been targeting media outlets, civil society organisations, and local and international nongovernmental organisations since the renewed fighting broke out in the second week of November. It has also stepped up its arrests of civilians over their alleged ties to the AA.