Under the guise of inspecting the overnight guest lists, the Military Council is apprehending civilians including children in Sittwe Township, Rakhine State.
Around 10:00 pm on November 18th, a group of approximately 20 soldiers arrived at Shwe Yaung Sone Monastery in Min Gan ward, Sittwe and apprehended 7-year-old Maung Maung Zan, and 20-year-old Ko Zaw Zaw.
“These youngsters hail from Min Gan as well. They gather donated food door-to-door for the monks and frequently stay overnight at the monastery. Unfortunately they were apprehended by soldiers who claimed they had breached the regulations regarding overnight guest registrations. The soldiers displayed a lack of civility, forcefully entering the temple by kicking its doors open”, a source close to the monastery said.
Both were obliged to stay overnight at the Sittwe Township Police Station and were released the following morning.
Amidst the renewed conflicts in Rakhine State, the coup Military Council soldiers are conducting overnight guest list checks in residential areas without notifying the relevant local administration officials. "When checking overnight guest lists, they often focus on monasteries, no longer accompanied by local administrative officials. Almost every day, only masked soldiers are conducting the checks”, a Sittwe local woman told DMG.
At approximately 9:00 pm on November 17th, soldiers arrived and apprehended university student Maung Myat Htoo Naing and his father at their residence in Kantawgyi ward, Sittwe.
"Masked soldiers entered the house, claiming to check overnight guest list registrations, and searched through the premises. Then the boy and his father were taken away”, reported a relative of the affected family. On November 15th, Maung Myat Htoo Naing shared on Facebook regarding the Military Council's arbitrary arrests of Sittwe locals.
According to the views of certain Rakhine residents, the Military Council is seeking to instill fear within the local population by pursuing and arresting individuals of all ages.
U Pe Than, a Rakhine political analyst told DMG, “This is their traditionally oppressive approach, imposing violence and threats on people nationwide. Children, monks, men, women—all segments of the population can expect increased hostility and aggression from the Military Council. Now in Rakhine State, their deliberate actions aim to instill widespread panic and force entire towns to flee”.
DMG has established that Military Council has detained over 30 individuals, including university students, displaced individuals, and civilians in Sittwe.
