Security beefed up in Thandwe, Sittwe amid speculation about potential visit from junta chief 

17 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
17 January 2023, Thandwe

Security has been tightened in Thandwe and Sittwe, with rumours circulating that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will be visiting Arakan State, according to town residents.

Large numbers of junta soldiers and police have been deployed along Minbargyi Road in Thandwe, the Thandwe-Ngapali road and the airport road, as well as at the Thandwe town hall, since Monday, according to a Thandwe resident.

“There are soldiers and police all over the town,” he said. “And they have marked roads with whitewash. We heard Min Aung Hlaing will come. Security has been tightened since yesterday.”

Roadside vendors were forcibly removed a few days ago and local roads were cleaned up, said another Thandwe resident.

“We have heard about his visit for a week. And we noticed an increased presence of security forces on the roads. We don’t know exactly when he will come,” he said.

DMG was unable to reach Arakan State Administration Council spokesman U Hla Thein and Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura to ask about whether a visit by the junta chief is impending.

Security has also been increased along thoroughfares and near the government guesthouse in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, according to town residents.

“We have noticed increased security forces at the airport and main roads lately. Obviously, a VIP is coming,” said one Sittwe resident. “And we also saw [municipal workers] repairing roads and doing cleaning. And security forces have also been deployed along the road to Mrauk-U as the VIP may go there for a pilgrimage. And there are reports that some senior officials have already arrived.”

The military regime is planning to hold an election in August of this year, as two years of its emergency rule comes to an end at the end of this month. The military staged a coup on February 1, 2021, seizing power from the elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government.

The Myanmar military and Arakan Army have observed an informal humanitarian ceasefire since late November, and have swapped prisoners of war twice since the truce was reached.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing visited Sittwe in September 2017.