Regime arrests dozens of civilians in Sittwe

By Admin 14 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

14 August 2025, Sittwe

Some locals have reportedly been arrested and questioned in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, which is still under the control of Myanmar's military regime.

Since the first week of August, junta officials have been conducting overnight guest checks and arresting people from their homes at any time of day or night in every neighbourhood in Sittwe, according to local residents.

"Junta officials are now checking guest lists every day. They don't check people on the street; they go straight into their homes. They check residents for no reason and arrest them if they are suspicious," said a local woman.

According to locals, the military regime arrested around 30 locals from the Mingan, Ywar Gyi Mrauk, Setyonesu, and Shwepyar neighbourhoods in Sittwe during the first week of August.

Junta soldiers and police reportedly arrested at least 16 locals after raiding the Setyonesu and Ywar Gyi Mrauk neighbourhoods on August 3, 4, and 5.

Among the arrestees from Sittwe's Setyonesu Ward are Ko Aung Kyaw Htay, 24, Daw Ma Oo Khin, 36, and Ko Win Min Zaw, 23. The trio were arrested on August 3.

Other arrestees include young and middle-aged men and women, and DMG continues to attempt to investigate their details.

The military regime has been showing off its military might in Sittwe more than usual in recent days, causing concern among locals.

"Fighter jets also take off from Sittwe airport every day. I don't know where those fighter jets go. The Myanmar military fires artillery shells from Sittwe toward Ponnagyun every day. Junta officials are checking guest lists and arresting people, so people are keeping quiet but worried about what will happen," said another Sittwe resident.

Most Sittwe residents have fled to areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) and Yangon since late 2023 and early 2024.

However, displaced people and many among the grassroots are trapped in Sittwe, where they are facing severe food shortages due to lack of jobs.

According to military sources, the regime is reinforcing its weapons and manpower along the border between AA-held Ponnagyun and Sittwe.

"The situation in Sittwe is like a bomb that is about to explode. The military regime is preparing for war. And there is also heavy weapons fire from both sides. The military regime is sending surveillance drones toward Ponnagyun every day," an unnamed military source told DMG.

The exchange of heavy weapons between the Myanmar military and the AA in Sittwe Township has resumed since July 22, after a long lull in heavy weapons exchanges.

However, there has been no serious fighting yet between the military and the AA in Sittwe Township.Currently, the military regime controls the three townships of Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung, while the remaining 14 townships in Arakan State are held by the AA.