Four suspects being questioned by Arakan Army over attack on cows in Mrauk-U Twsp

By DMG 22 Dec 2021

DMG Newsroom
22 December 2021, Mrauk-U 

Four suspects have been detained by the Arakan Army (AA) for their alleged involvement in an attack on cows belonging to a farmer in Mucha village, Mrauk-U Township, earlier this week, according to the owner of the cattle. 

U Maung Saw Tun, the owner, said that eight of his cows were tied up in a field outside the village and five of the bovines’ legs were cut off with a knife on Monday night. 

The Arakan Army took four people into its custody after the owner of the cattle lodged a complaint with the ethnic armed group and the township administrator over the incident. 

“The suspects were detained yesterday and they have not been released yet. I want to identify the perpetrators in this case,” U Maung Saw Tun said on Wednesday. 

The four suspects being questioned by the Arakan Army are one person from Thayetpyin village, a man working at a location between Thayetpyingyi and Mucha villages, and two backhoe drivers. 

“U Maung Saw Tun is a farmer and has no problem with other people. He is not rich enough to make many people jealous. This is a tragedy for his family,” said the administrator of Mucha village. 

In a statement on December 17, the United League of Arakan (ULA) — the Arakan Army’s political wing — said that some townships in Arakan State had experienced a “series of extraordinary events” this month that it warned could lead to sectarian conflict.

These incidents included the setting fire of paddy harvesters and sheafs of paddy, and an alleged attempted rape involving two Muslim men over a period from December 9-14, the ULA said in Friday’s statement. 

Two bundles of paddy were also reportedly set on fire in Kanda (Muslim) village, part of the Pho Khaung Chaung village-tract in Arakan State’s Buthidaung Township, on December 21.