AA says it won’t tolerate any more kidnapping in Arakan State

By DMG 11 Jul 2022

DMG Newsroom
11 July 2022, Sittwe 

The Arakan Army (AA) has said it will not tolerate the kidnapping of civilians in Arakan State, and will take measures to ensure that the recent kidnapping of two educators from Maungdaw Township is the first and last of its kind. 

The kidnapping and holding of the two educators for ransom is a direct threat to the Arakanese people, said AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha. 

“Whether the abductees are civil servants or not, it is concerned with the safety of each and every civilian in Arakan State. So, we are trying our best to make sure such cases do not happen again,”he added. 

The spokesman did not, however, elaborate on what measures the ethnic armed group is taking to prevent kidnapping. He acknowledged that it would be difficult to completely prevent kidnapping. 

Principal U Bo Win and teacher U Daw Ohmar Kyaw, from a primary school in Thinbaw Hla village, Maungdaw Township, were kidnapped on June 16 while travelling to the township education office. 

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. The AA commander-in-chief, Major General Twan Mrat Naing, alleged that the two educators were abducted by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), but the organisation rejected that accusation as false. 

The two educators were taken across the border into Bangladesh and the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 5 million Bangladeshi taka (about K100 million, or US$54,000). The pair were released on June 23, reportedly after the ransom money was paid. 

The AA spokesman cautioned against establishing a precedent when it comes to paying ransoms.“If the tradition of submitting to ransom demands has begun, it is dangerous and will invite more kidnapping,” said U Khaing Thukha. 

The AA has urged the public to exercise caution, and to avoid travelling to places deemed unsafe.