More students and minors arrested in Arakan State: Arakan Students’ Union

By DMG 15 Nov 2022

DMG Newsroom
15 November 2022, Sittwe

Students and minors have been among those recently arrested by the Myanmar military on suspicion amid renewed fighting in Arakan State, said Ko Oo Than Naing, the information officer of the Arakan Students’ Union.

In addition to the military’s arrests, some students were also injured and killed by recent shellings, he added.

“The military council is targeting university students and basic students and arresting them. In other countries, even if students commit a crime, the students are only tried and not held in jail for long days,” he added.

Three students are currently detained by the military junta and two minors are among the detainees, according to figures compiled by the Arakan Students’ Union. Four students were reportedly killed and five others injured by the artillery strikes in Arakan State.

Myanmar military and Border Guard Force (BGF) personnel detained Ma Aye Mya Sandar, a 25-year-old university student from Pyainetaung Village in Minbya Township, at the Kyeinchaung security checkpoint in Maungdaw, Arakan State, on November 1, and she has not been in contact with her family since.

Arresting such students is a disruption to their educations, said Ko Myo Nyein Chan, the younger brother of Ma Aye Mya Sandar.

“Arresting students is like blocking the progress of young people in Arakan State. Arrests of students by the military is the same as eliminating intellectuals,” he added.

The union will report to international organisations regarding the death of students via shellings and the number of students arrested by the military in Arakan State, according to the Arakan Students’ Union.

From the beginning of 2022 to present, there have been 133 adults, nine minors and 191 people of unknown age among those arrested by the Myanmar military, according to a DMG tally. Three adults and 10 minors were among those arrested by the Arakan Army (AA) over that period. (The information has been collected and verified to the extent that conditions on the ground have allowed.)

Arakan Students’ Union officials say the fundamental rights of students in Myanmar have never been fully enjoyed, and that progress made to secure those rights in recent years is being lost day by day since the 2021 coup.