Two residents from the Arakan State capital Sittwe who were detained by Myanmar’s military regime for “being unable to give a satisfactory explanation about why they were loitering at night” were sentenced to one month in prison on August 5, according to family members.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, in a televised speech on Monday to mark 18 months since the military takeover, described the proportional representation (PR) electoral system as a solution to end ethnic armed conflicts in Myanmar.

The renovation of columns at the Mahamuni Buddha Temple in Kyauktaw Township has been delayed by rising military tensions between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), according to the religious site’s board of trustees.

Residents in the Arakan State capital Sittwe say they are living on edge as the Myanmar military often checks for overnight guests.

Myanmar’s military regime has forced residents of Muslim villages in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, to keep alternating overnight watches in their villages, a mandate that is particularly affecting casual workers.

An elderly man from Ngasinyaine Chaung village in Arakan State’s Minbya Township was severely injured in a landmine explosion on Friday morning.

The Myanmar military’s Light Infantry Battalion No. 289 has blockaded both land and water routes in Chin State’s Paletwa Township, where clashes are ongoing between regime forces and the Arakan Army, according to locals.

Amid renewed tensions between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State, the junta has been handing down prison terms to those facing charges of terrorism related to the Arakanese ethnic armed group. 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar has warned of limitations in providing assistance to those who have fled their homes due to fighting between the military and anti-regime armed groups in the country. 

The second court hearing of an Arakanese man who is the primary suspect in the murder of a Thai citizen on the Thailand-Malaysia border will be held on August 9, according to migrant rights activist helping the defendant.

Myanmar’s military regime has denied Arakan Army (AA) accusations that it fired upon a school ferryboat this week, killing two students.

The Myanmar junta’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation said a male elephant recently born in Arakan State’s Taungup Township is a white elephant.

Myanmar-Thai border trade has resumed through the Maw Daung border crossing in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region, as the border crossing was reopened for transnational commerce on Tuesday, according to officials.

A Grade 5 student in Kudohseik village, part of Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu Township, was struck dead by lightning on Wednesday, according to locals.

Lieutenant Colonel Khaing Paw Lin, an executive committee member of Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), and a Grade 8 student were taken from their home by members of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) in the Arakan State capital Sittwe on August 2, an ALP official said.

A police sergeant was detained by members of the Arakan Army in Maei town, part of Arakan State’s Taungup Township, at about 9 p.m. on August 1, locals said.

The Arakan Army (AA) has corroborated earlier reports that two students were killed and others were injured when the Myanmar military fired shots at a ferry transporting students along the Kaladan River in Chin State’s Paletwa Township.

Oysters farmed in Arakan State are fetching good prices due to increased demand from Yangon and other parts of Myanmar, according to local oyster breeders.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has invited ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) in the country to peace talks for the third time since April.