Probe into missing Tinma villagers not yet finished: Arakan State Administration Council member

By DMG 29 Mar 2021

DMG newsroom
29 March 2021, Sittwe

An investigation into the disappearance of 18 residents of Tinma village in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State, has yet to conclude, according to a member of the state-level military government. 

Earlier this month marked one year since the 18 villagers went missing, but families of the missing say they are still without even a scrap of information about their loved ones’ whereabouts.

Colonel Min Than, a member of the Arakan State Administration Council, said the case of the missing Tinma residents is under investigation and that actions could be taken depending on a report that will come out following the investigation.

“More evidence is required. We can submit the report when we have sufficient evidence. We do not have a time limit to investigate the case. A time frame cannot be set to do an investigation on a case. Sometimes, important evidence takes time,” he said.

Mrauk-U District police questioned the families of the missing villagers in December, and the Mrauk-U District Management Committee formed an investigation committee on January 6 that included the Kyauktaw Township administrator, township police head and well-known elders of Tinma village.

But if those probes produced any new information or leads regarding the missing villagers, their families say they have not been made privy to it.

“We are waiting for information about them. However, no information has been received so far,” said Ma Mya Win Kyi, the older sister of missing villager Ko Maung Kyi Linn. “I think they should tell us their findings from the investigation. We want to hear any information.”

Family members say the 18 villagers were detained by a Tatmadaw column on March 13 and 16 of last year, and have not been seen or heard from since.

They are 10 men from Tinmagyi village and eight men from Tinma (new) village.

“I want the police to investigate as fast as possible,” said Daw Oo Than Yi, the mother of missing villager Ko Nay Linn Oo. “We want to know whether our family members are still alive or not.”