Maung Sar Ga — In Myebon Township, Arakan State, a military navy boat detained Muslim fishing boats, took fuel and money, and enforced a fishing prohibition.
A Muslim fisherman in Myebon Township recounted the event, stating, "Recently, a navy ship near Kyaukphyu hailed our fishing boats from afar. They confiscated 300,000 Kyats and over 20 containers of gasoline, with each bucket having a capacity of 20 liters. They brought back just 10 buckets and carried away the remaining ones. They put a curse on us and commanded us to never fish in this area again.”
He stated that the current living conditions are tough, and implementing fishing limitations would further exacerbate their struggles.
“Currently, we are not getting any food assistance from international organizations. If fishing was permitted, we could support ourselves. Because fishing is not allowed, we could experience significant difficulties,” he stated.
Currently, the Arakan Army (AA) holds control over Myebon Township. The fisherman mentioned that life is easier under AA control now, with friendly rapport with the Arakanese locals and the liberty to sell fish without any constraints.
Fishermen from different areas have also reported that the military navy in power has completely banned fishing in Arakan waters and is still apprehending and demanding money from fishermen.
As per the fishermen, naval ships from the junta have been shooting at fishing boats from Arakan and conducting arrests and extortion near the towns of Sittwe, Pauktaw, Kyaukphyu, Manaung, and Ramree.
“Because of the naval boats and ships controlled by the military regime, we fishermen are unable to carry out any activities. They limit our mobility and hinder us from participating in the fishing sector,” an entrepreneur from the water industry in Manaung Island complained.
Also, there have been reports from fishermen that navy ships belonging to the ruling military group have fired on fishermen out at sea, resulting in some of them getting wounded.
A fisherman from Arakan State said that without the navy vessels of the junta, they would have freedom to fish in the sea.
He mentioned that in the previous month, a navy ship apprehended several fishermen close to Sittwe and transported them to the city.
“The military forces asked for money from them, and when they were unable to pay, they were taken into custody," he said. “It is not certain if they have been released."
Ever since the conflict restarted in November 2023 between the Arakan Army (AA) and military forces in Arakan State, the military has closed off all land and water passageways to the region.
Because of the blockade of waterways by the junta and the fishing prohibition, fishermen in Arakan State are finding it difficult to sustain their livelihoods.
A man aged 30 from Thaing Chaung village near the Dhanyawadi naval base was fatally shot by the junta navy on November 7 while fishing on a boat. A Kyaukphyu resident verified that his body was found in the water on November 13.
At 1:00 pm on September 23, the military navy apprehended 17 fishermen from Ah Nauk Ye Muslim village in Pauktaw Township close to Sittwe.
During the evening of the same day, as they were preparing stow nets in the Kaladan River, the military navy shot at them in a menacing way, took them into custody, and then let them go.
The military navy detained a fisherman from Nga La Pyawt ward in Kyaukphyu Town and two fishermen from Kyan Chai village in Thit Poke Taung sub-township on September 1 as they were fishing in a nearby river.
