Two Mrauk-U villagers released after mountaintop Tatmadaw interrogation

By Hnin Nwe 26 May 2020

Hnin Nwe | DMG
26 May, Mrauk-U

Two men detained by a Tatmadaw column in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township on May 24 were released the following evening after a lengthy interrogation in the mountains outside their village.

U Mae Ni, 60, and U Maung Soe Tin, 55, were taken to the Minthamee mountain range near their village of Waytharli, U Maung Soe Tin told DMG.

“They asked if members of the Arakan Army visit the village and how much money we have to provide to the AA,” he said. “They gave us snacks to eat. They did not beat us.”

On Sunday, a Tatmadaw contingent of about 60 soldiers entered Waytharli village.

“They entered the village early morning, at about 6 a.m. They told us not to make contact with the Arakan Army and that if we can tell the AA to surrender, we will stay peacefully,” said Daw Oo Thein Hla, who was one of more than 10 villagers, including women and children, who were interrogated for about three hours and subsequently released.
“They took our photos. They told us to sign a paper saying they did not torture villagers,” she said.
U Mae Ni and U Maung Soe Tin were not released with the rest, however.

“Another military unit entered the village while we were being interrogated. The two groups took the two men to the north of the village,” Daw Oo Thein Hla said.
Following Sunday’s incident, some Waytharli residents fled to neighbouring villages, fearing there would be further interrogations, according to Waytharli village administrator U Maung Tun Win.

Residents of nearby villages, meanwhile, said a clash occurred between the Tatmadaw and the AA in an area between Mrauk-U Township’s Lekka and Buywet Manhyo villages at about 4 a.m. on May 24.
DMG phoned Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team and Colonel Win Zaw Oo, spokesperson for the military’s Western Command, seeking comment on the detention of the two Waytharli villagers, but they could not be reached.
U Maung Soe Tin told DMG that he was glad to have been released. The 55-year-old added that he did not want to see any other innocent civilians arrested, as has been a recurrent feature of the Tatmadaw-AA conflict in Arakan State.