Junta continues live-fire drills in Arakan State

By Admin 26 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
26 October 2023, Sittwe
 
The Myanmar military will carry out live-fire drills in Ponnagyun Township, the latest in a series of live-fire exercises in Arakan State since early this month.
 
Light Infantry Battalion No. 550 based in Ponnagyun will conduct live-fire drills from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, according to ward and village administrators.
 
The township General Administration Department summoned ward and village administrators to its office on Wednesday, and warned local residents not to go to the surrounding mountains and forests during the drills.
 
“They have informed us about it to avoid public panic. They didn’t say the drills will involve artillery. They only said they would fire weapons for the exercise,” said U Maung Pe Win, the administrator of Thazi Village in Ponnagyun Township.
 
Local residents have concerns for their safety.
 
“Some people were killed by artillery explosions in villages. So we have concerns, especially because we don’t know where they will fire. We have warned children not to go to the forests and mountains,” said a woman from Kyaukseik Village in Ponnagyun Township.
 
During the latest fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army last year, two residents were killed in Diparyone Village, and some villagers were injured in Eidin and Ngatgyikyun villages, by junta artillery strikes.
 
The regime has been frequently conducting live-fire drills of late. A military battalion in Minbya carried out live-fire drills on October 19-20.
 
A junta base near Tharagu Village in Taungup Township, and Danyawaddy naval base near Thitpoketaung Village in Kyaukphyu Township also carried out live-fire drills involving artillery in early October.
 
The regime should build trust to reinforce its ceasefire with the Arakan Army (AA) instead of engaging in activities that cause public panic, said Arakanese politician U Pe Than.
 
“[The Myanmar military] should reduce military drills at this time, as people have concerns that renewed fighting will erupt,” said U Pe Than.
 
DMG’s calls to Arakan State security and border affairs minister Colonel Kyaw Thura went unanswered.
 
It has been nearly one year since the Myanmar military and the AA observed an informal ceasefire on humanitarian grounds in late November 2022.