Two detained Sanae town residents unable to meet family 

By Hnin Nwe 17 Nov 2020

Hnin Nwe | DMG
17 November 2020, Sittwe 

Two residents of Sanae town in Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu Township have been charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army, with the duo sent to Kyaukphyu Prison on November 16, according to family members. 

Identified as Ko Nyein Tauk and Ko Aung Tun Lin, the pair were sued under Section 50(j) and Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law at the Kyaukphyu police station on November 9. 

Family members went to the police station to meet with the two men on November 9, but they were not allowed to see them. The two detainees were transferred to Kyaukphyu Prison on November 16, said Daw Pu Ma Yay, the mother of Ko Aung Tun Lin.

“They [prison officials] said the two men are being held in prison but we were not allowed to see them,” she told DMG. “We brought clothes and food for them but it couldn’t be given to them. We want them to be able to meet their family members if they are actually in jail,” she added. 

Three residents of Sanae town, Ko Tun Hla, Ko Nyein Tauk and Ko Aung Tun Lin, were arrested by military personnel while fishing at Kyuntaung Jetty near Kalarpon village on November 4. 

The Tatmadaw True News Information Team said in a statement on November 9 that the three men were members of the Arakan Army and were involved in an attack on a naval vessel in the Tanzin River. 

Ko Tun Hla was released on November 10, but the two other Sanae men face charges under the Counter-Terrorism Law. 

Family members have denied that the accused men had any involvement with the Arakan Army, saying they were engaged in fishing for their livelihood. 

“He has nothing to do with the Arakan Army members. No guns were seized from my husband. On the day of his arrest, the soldiers took him away in front of his parents for interrogation,” said Ma Yi Yi Aung, the wife of Ko Aung Tun Lin.   

“My son has been very scared since he was young because he is a person with a mental problem. I am worried about his health because he is currently held in police custody. He is my only son and we earn our living by farming,” said Daw Ma Khin Myint, the mother of detainee Ko Nyein Tauk.

Police Captain Kyaw Zaw, the head of the Kyaukphyu police station, said five residents of Kalarpon village in Ramree Township were also arrested for allegedly attacking a navy vessel on November 7, being held in police custody and charged under Section 50(a), 50(j), and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law. 

Little fighting has taken place in Kyaukphyu District, but civilian arrests on suspicion of ties to the Arakan Army are not uncommon.