Two men shot dead, two women detained while fleeing Sittwe

By Admin 19 Jun 2024

DMG Newsroom
19 June 2024, Sittwe

The regime reportedly shot two men dead and arrested two women from Amyintkyun Village in Sittwe Township who attempted to flee the Arakan State capital on June 11.

Eleven villagers were fleeing Sittwe by boat, en route to Ponnagyun Township, when Myanmar Navy personnel stationed in the river near the village followed them in a speedboat and opened fire on them.

“The villagers attempted to flee Sittwe by boat when regime soldiers opened fire on them. Two men were shot dead and four others managed to escape from the scene. Two women were arrested,” said a local source.

The deceased have been identified as U Aung Thein Tun, 39, and U Than Tun Maung, 53.

Five people were initially arrested by the junta soldiers, but two women and a child were later released. The two women who remain detained have been identified as Ma Moe Thuzar, 24 and Daw Saw Saw Aye, 49.

“They were shot and arrested while attempting to flee the fighting. We are worried about the safety of the two detained women,” said a local woman.

Some 200 residents attempted to flee Sittwe by boat on April 20 for fear that fighting might soon break out between the regime and AA in the town. They were shot at and stopped by junta troops deployed on Kantkaw Island. Three were killed and approximately 10 others were injured when they stepped on landmines while fleeing the junta’s indiscriminate shooting. More than 100 people were arrested.

The regime has banned local people in Sittwe from leaving the Arakan State capital and planted landmines around the city.

The junta has forced thousands of residents from 12 Arakanese villages in Sittwe Township to move to Sittwe Town, its seat of administration in Arakan State.