Arakan Army implores public to avoid unnecessary travel amid rising military tensions

By DMG 22 Jul 2022

DMG Newsroom
22 July 2022, Sittwe

The Arakan Army (AA) this week urged local people to exercise caution while travelling in the state, citing the military regime’s recent arrests of dozens civilians on a variety of specious grounds.

The military has set up additional checkpoints on roads and at jetties in Arakan State, where junta personnel are subjecting travellers to strict scrutiny that often includes inspecting their phones, said a July 21 statement from the AA, adding that the regime has also conducted night raids on homes to make arbitrary arrests of innocent civilians.

Home raids have also led to the seizure of computers, tablets and phones, targeting anything related to the Arakan Army, as well as anti-junta posts and the sharing of such posts on social media, incriminating photos and video files, and other content deemed unacceptable to the regime, said the AA statement.

The ethnic armed group urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and clear their phones before travelling, and to get rid of any document the regime could cite as justification for making an arrest.

Former Lower House lawmaker U Aung Thaung Shwe from Buthidaung Township urged the public to heed the AA statement.

“The military is threatening people, and also making restrictions. They have restricted travel and transportation of goods into Arakan State. They are doing this deliberately to push Arakan State into crisis,” he said.

The AA also released a statement on Tuesday, urging people to be aware of possible clashes in the region as the Myanmar military was stepping up its military preparations in Arakan State.

The Myanmar military and the Arakan Army clashed in Maungdaw Township on Monday. Fourteen of the regime’s border police personnel were captured and arms including rocket launchers, ammunition and other military equipment were seized in the fighting, the AA said.

Last month, the AA abducted more than a dozen junta personnel in Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, Mrauk-U and Sittwe townships. The regime also detained dozens of residents in those towns, bringing criminal charges against several of them.