The State Government stuck between civilians and army

04 Jul 2019

Thet Naing | DMG

July 4, Sittwe

More than a dozen of civilians in Arakan State have died in custody after being detained on suspicion of having connections to the Arakan Army (AA). 

Conflicts between the AA and Tatmadaw erupted in January and after six months of intense fighting there seems to be no end in sight. Security forces have detained more than 90 civilians on suspicion of links to the AA, according to Tatmadaw figures. 

Arakan State Municipal Affairs Minister U Win Myint said that the state government was unable to intervene due to constitutional limits on its authority.

“The Tatmadaw bears the main responsibility for security and protection, and we work on governing. So, it is hard for us to instruct the Tatmadaw how to handle certain situations. They can report back that they are working according to the security and military protocols on the battlefield. As a government, we cannot tell them to stop the fighting due to the 2008 Constitution,” he said. 

However, the government has been helping people that have been affected by the conflicts, U Win Myint said, adding that IDPs can contact the government if they face difficulties. 

“If they have difficulties with accommodation, food or education they can contact our government. We will try to support them as much as we can. We have already provided housing support [to displaced people] for the rainy season. If more people need assistance, they can contact us and we will try to help,” he said.  

But in reality, there has been very little support to the war refugees from the state and union governments. There are nearly 50,000 IDPs affected by the armed conflicts in Arakan State now.

Since the fighting broke out in Arakan State in January, more than 90 people have been detained and questioned on suspicion of links to the AA, according to the Tadmadaw True News Information Team. Of these people, 36 people were still being questioned, 45 are facing charges, eight have been released and legal action has been taken against three.  

During the inquisition period, at least 14 people have died in custody according to the DMG’s sources.