Weekly Highlights from Arakan State (15-21 December 2025)

By Admin 23 Dec 2025

In an era when daily news from Arakan is often fragmented and fast-changing, DMG's Weekly Highlights of Arakan brings clarity, depth, and context to the stories that matter most.

Each week, we round up key political, military, social, and humanitarian developments across Arakan State - connecting the dots between events and offering analysis to help audiences see the bigger picture.

This series is designed for readers and viewers seeking a concise yet comprehensive understanding of how ongoing conflict, governance shifts, and community issues continue to shape lives across Arakan.

India–Arakan trade temporarily suspended during Christmas holiday

Arakanese merchants in India say India–Arakan trade will be temporarily suspended for several days during the upcoming Christmas holiday.

In India’s Mizoram State, township youth groups have issued notices ordering the closure of market areas from December 20 to January 11 during the Christmas season.

Traders said Arakanese merchants in India are returning to Arakan State after purchasing goods needed there ahead of Christmas.

A shopkeeper in Kyauktaw Township said that while commodity prices in Arakan State are unlikely to change significantly, the annual Christmas-related trade closure could have a slight impact.

Since 2023, the military regime has blocked roads in Arakan State, forcing the region to import food, medicine, and fuel mainly from Mizoram.

India–Arakan trade resumed in mid-2024, with the Paletwa route via Lawngtlai, Siaha, and Aizawl in Mizoram State serving as a key trade corridor for Arakan State.

Residents dig bomb shelters amid junta airstrike fears

Following the bombing of Mrauk-U Hospital, authorities have instructed local residents to dig bomb shelters amid growing concerns over air and artillery attacks in Arakan Army-controlled townships in Arakan State.

Residents said bomb shelters were widely dug at individual homes in 2023, but construction later declined as security conditions slightly improved in AA-controlled areas. Many of the shelters were also destroyed during the rainy season.

However, following the recent junta airstrike on Mrauk-U Hospital, United League of Arakan (ULA) authorities have reportedly ordered residents to rebuild bomb shelters.

Villages in Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, and Rathedaung townships near Sittwe are also reportedly digging bomb shelters due to fears of heavy weapons attacks by the military regime.

Military tensions between the junta and the Arakan Army continue in Sittwe Township, where heavy artillery fire has been reported frequently.

In Arakan State, Myanmar Navy warships have also frequently fired heavy weapons from the sea toward coastal areas in Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Gwa, while the threat of junta airstrikes persists.

Injured in Mrauk-U Hospital bombing urgently need medical supplies

Those injured in the bombing of Mrauk-U Hospital are in urgent need of medical assistance and supplies, according to aid workers on the ground.

Myanmar’s military regime bombed Mrauk-U Hospital on December 10, destroying the main building and much of its medical equipment, leaving the facility in urgent need of support to replenish supplies.

Writer Wai Hun Aung, who is assisting the injured, said the hospital was completely destroyed, causing a severe shortage of medicines. He added that key medical equipment, including X-ray machines and medical storage facilities, was also damaged and needs to be replaced.

As rebuilding the hospital is not currently possible, he said efforts are underway to provide treatment to patients as quickly as possible in suitable and safe locations.

Wai Hun Aung said at least three injured people remain in critical condition, adding that some patients are suffering from trauma-related shock.

“The injured are now traumatized. They do not dare to stay inside buildings for treatment and wake up at any sound,” he said.

The Arakan Army has appealed to countries and organizations to provide medical supplies and medicines to enable continued treatment for those injured in the Mrauk-U Hospital bombing.

The Arakan Army reported that 33 civilians were killed and 78 others injured in the attack.

Skyrocketing commodity prices deepen hardships for Sittwe residents

Residents of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State still under the control of Myanmar’s military regime, say they are facing growing hardships as prices of basic commodities continue to soar.

In Sittwe, the price of one bag of charcoal has risen to K60,000, while a single stick of firewood now costs nearly K1,000.

Residents said that with charcoal prices skyrocketing and a cart of 400 firewood sticks costing up to K500,000, many households now have rice but no fuel to cook it.

Some residents are reportedly demolishing unoccupied houses on the outskirts of Sittwe and selling the materials as firewood.

Prices of food and fuel have also surged. One bag of high-grade Paw Hsan Hmwe rice now costs K270,000, one viss of dried chili sells for K20,000, and one liter of fuel costs K20,000.

The military regime has blocked all entrances and exits to Sittwe, with food and consumer goods transported by sea from Yangon using large cargo ships.

However, residents said that the lack of a fixed shipping schedule has caused commodity prices to remain unstable and fluctuate frequently.

Many households are reportedly undernourished due to unemployment, widespread casual labor, low incomes, and rising prices.

Junta shelling forces mass evacuation in Rathedaung Township

Residents on the western side of the Mayu River in Rathedaung Township are being evacuated en masse due to ongoing heavy weapons fire from Sittwe-based junta battalions.

Villages including Angumaw, Kontan, Hsinpaik, and Laungchaung along the Mayu Riverbank, which is controlled by the Arakan Army, have seen residents fleeing since December 13, according to local sources.

The villages are exposed to frequent attacks from the military regime, including artillery fire from Myanmar Navy warships. Airstrikes and shelling have been reported across Arakan State since the bombing of Mrauk-U Hospital, with residents hearing artillery explosions near their villages.

Displaced residents are moving inland within Rathedaung Township in search of temporary shelter.

In early December, junta battalions based in Padaleik Village, Sittwe Township, fired artillery into Ponnagyun Township, forcing residents in Kuntaung, Hngetgyikyun, Padetha, and Aidin villages to evacuate.

Military observers say the regime is preparing to retake Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Maungdaw, Pauktaw, and Gwa townships ahead of the elections. The Arakan Army is reportedly preparing to defend its positions, raising the risk of intensified fighting.

Civilian death toll from Kyaukphyu airstrike rises to nine

The civilian death toll from a junta airstrike on Ngalonesu Village in Kyaukphyu Township has risen to nine after one of the injured died on December 15.

The victim was identified as 41-year-old U Maung Than Kyi, a resident of Ngalonesu Village, who died at around 1:00 p.m. on December 15, five days after receiving emergency medical treatment.

A total of 16 people were injured when a junta jet fighter bombed the village on December 11. Eight people were killed instantly, and the latest death brings the total number of fatalities to nine, with 15 others injured.

According to local sources, the jet fighter dropped two 500-pound bombs on the village at around 7:00 p.m. on December 11, killing residents and displaced people sheltering in the area.

The military regime also carried out an airstrike on Mrauk-U Hospital on December 10, killing 33 people, including a three-month-old baby, and injuring 78 others.

In total, junta airstrikes over the two days resulted in more than 40 civilian deaths and over 90 injuries.

The military regime has been conducting daily airstrikes on towns and villages across Arakan State in recent days, with civilian casualties continuing to rise.

This has been a selection of the week’s highlights from Arakan State. Stay tuned for this programme every Tuesday.

May all Arakanese people be healthy and prosperous.