Burglaries a growing problem in Sittwe, Thandwe

By Admin 12 Jul 2024

DMG Newsroom
12 July 2024, Sittwe

Burglaries have increased in Arakan State’s Sittwe and Thandwe towns, which remain under the control of Myanmar’s military regime, according to residents.

Burglars have typically targeted the houses of residents who fled ongoing fighting between junta and Arakkha Army (AA) forces, said residents who remain in Sittwe and Thandwe.

Fighting has been raging in Thandwe Township for about three months, with the AA seizing Thandwe Airport and Thandwe-based Light Infantry Battalion Nos. 566 and 55 in recent months.

Junta soldiers remain stationed in and around Thandwe Town, and the AA has said it will continue to carry out an offensive aimed at seizing complete control of the town.

With many Thandwe residents having fled the conflict, burglars are stealing everything from cooking utensils and clothes to bicycles, motorbikes, diesel generators and refrigerators, according to residents.

“No one could carry all of their belongings when they fled the fighting,” said a resident who is still trapped in Thandwe Town. “So, thieves are looking for houses they could steal from. Sometimes, there are two thieves. Sometimes, there are a group of thieves. I saw them stealing from houses. However, I’ve been afraid that they would harm me if I tried to stop them. So, I just stood by and watched them steal.”

Break-ins of homes and shops have also increased lately in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, said residents.

Most Sittwe residents have fled the town since April for fear of possible fighting. Some remain, however, for a variety of reasons.

A clothing shop owner in Sittwe’s Minbargyi Ward said: “Burglars broke into my shop and took everything. They also smashed all the mirrors. They also stole 2 million kyats. Neighbours said a group of burglars came and burgled my shop.”

Junta soldiers who conduct regular patrols and carry out frequent checks on households in search of unregistered guests have, however, turned a blind eye to burglars who wander Sittwe in groups at night, say residents.

“Burglars ransacked the houses of some of my neighbours. When we tried to stop burglars from pulling apart the house next to ours, they wielded their knives against us. So, we dared not stop them,” said a woman from Sittwe.

The regime has prepared to make a stand in Sittwe after AA advances have seen control of many of the townships surrounding the Arakan State capital ceded to the ethnic armed group in recent months.

Junta soldiers have also looted homes in 14 villages in Sittwe Township from which residents were forcibly resettled to Sittwe Town, according to witnesses.