Neighbourhood watch instituted in some Kyauktaw Twsp villages amid rising crime

By Admin 04 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

4 August 2025, Kyauktaw

Crimes such as theft, looting, robbery, and even murder have become increasingly common in Arakan State territory controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), raising concerns among locals.

In an effort to reduce crime, residents in the villages of Apaukwa, Pyainechaung and Kunohnchaung in southern Kyauktaw Township are providing citizen security on a rotating basis.

"About 20 houses were robbed in one night. Motorcycles and phones were also stolen. So we are taking turns guarding the village," said a local man in Apaukwa Village.

Locals said that night patrols are being organised in collaboration with administrative officials and villagers to ensure village security.

A spate of robberies and thefts occurred in these villages last month, with locals reportedly losing items including gold, cash, phones, medicine, and motorcycles.

Recently, a phone shop in the village was robbed of mobile phones and cash, and another villager was robbed of K2 million in a nighttime robbery.

Locals say robberies have become more common during the current rainy season, with crimes perpetrated in various ways by both groups and individuals.

"In the past, we would not see anyone on the streets after 9 p.m. Now, late at night and on rainy nights, we notice strangers moving around the yards and streets frequently. That's why we have a lot of security concerns," said a local woman.

In the first week of July, the home of Kyaw Thet Hlaing, a rice mill owner in Kunohnchaung Village, was robbed, and 10 ticals of jewelry and some cash were taken, according to locals.

On July 24, a 62-year-old woman was robbed and murdered while sleeping alone in her home in Pyainechaung Village. Her belongings, including gold, cash and a mobile phone, were taken.

"The village administrator and villagers will work together to prevent such incidents from happening again," said U Tun Hlaing, a local man.

Locals are also looking to the Arakkha people's government to more effectively deal with such crimes.

"The security situation has become more worrying. The Arakan Army also believes that it is necessary to work with village officials to develop a plan for village security and [crime] prevention. The AA also wants to focus on the ongoing cases to bring the perpetrators to justice," said a local man in Kyauktaw.

The Arakan Army (AA), which has seized 14 of Arakan State's 17 townships, has established the Arakkha people's government with administrative mechanisms and functions including law enforcement and judicial apparatuses. However, there have been criticisms that the AA and its nascent governing efforts need improvement.