Military checks ID cards and household member lists at Mrauk-U Twsp village

By DMG 08 Dec 2021

DMG Newsroom
8 December 2021, Sittwe

About 60 soldiers visited Kin Seik village, in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township, for more than two hours on December 8, villagers said.

The soldiers arrived at the village at about 8 a.m. and visited the monastery and school, and checked villagers’ household member lists, said U Hla Thar Tun, head of Kin Seik village.

“They asked me if villagers received the Covid-19 vaccine and ID card that Immigration Department issues under the Pan Khin project. I told them some villagers who lost their ID card have not applied for their ID card again. The military visited the village and checked the household member lists at homes,” he said.

Soldiers visited the village and said they would repair drinking water wells in the village, villagers said.

“Villagers are afraid when soldiers enter the village because of the previous situation. Villagers are worried that they will do something. But they did not do anything. They visited the village and told us they will fulfill the needs of the village,” said U Kyaw Kyaw Naing, a villager who visited the village with the soldiers.

The soldiers, who arrived at the village in two military vehicles, left the village at noon, villagers said.

Ma Oo Khaing Htay, a resident of Kin Seik village, said she was worried that soldiers would return to the village.

“I ran to the hut in the field with my children when I heard soldiers enter the village. Some men ran to another village. All of us are afraid when soldiers enter the village,” she said.

DMG phoned Col. Kyaw Thu Ya, minister for Security and Border Affairs in Arakan State, to seek comment about the visit of soldiers to Kin Seik village, but the attempt was unsuccessful.