Locals call for lifting curfew in Arakan State

By DMG 10 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
10 December 2022, Sittwe

Local people have called on Myanmar’s military regime to lift the nighttime curfew in Arakan State.

The curfew was imposed in Mrauk-U, Minbya, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Ponnagyun and Myebon townships amid escalating military tensions with the Arakan Army (AA) earlier this year.

Villagers face difficulties when they travel to towns to sell their goods and agricultural produce, a Minbya resident told DMG.

“People who make a living by selling their goods in towns are having a hard time. The curfew remains in place, and ferry boats and buses are not yet operating as normal,” he said.

Locals continue to suffer from the curfew in terms of their livelihoods and health, said residents of Mrauk-U, where an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew has been in place since September.

“People who return to Mrauk-U after seeing a doctor in Sittwe dare not travel at night. Some sleep overnight at monasteries on the road. So, we all hope that the curfew will be lifted,” said a Mrauk-U resident.

Eateries and vendors that sell at night are also suffering from the curfew, said residents. “The fighting has ceased and travel restrictions have been lifted, but the curfew is still in effect. Eateries and vendors have to close even before 8:30 at night,” said Sittwe resident Ko Naing Gyi.

DMG was unable to reach Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura and Arakan State Administration Council spokesman U Hla Thein to inquire as to whether the regime plans to lift the curfew in the state.