Rakhine passengers bound for Rakhine State were arrested at Yangon Airport, on February 26th, a Yangon-based Rakhine youth informed Narinjara. The flight bound for Rakhine State, was scheduled to depart at 9:45 am.
"Many passengers, including my sister, were detained at the airport around 7:00 am while preparing to board a Myanmar National Airlines (MAI) flight bound for Rakhine State. Initially only their luggage was inspected, but as the flight was preparing for departure, the airport official informed them they would not be allowed to board, without explanation. The passengers were then forced to congregate in one area while being detained”, he said.
He added that” "Despite some officials promising to send the detained passengers back to their residences in Yangon instead of allowing them to return to Rakhine State, they later ordered all the passengers' phones to be powered off. Since then we could not contact them", he said in the afternoon.
When Narinjara reached out to MAI, the airline replied that the flights were running as usual and that some of the young people who were deemed “suspicious” and had been checked and returned to their residences in Yangon. However when Narinjara contacted Yangon Airport officials regarding the number and reasons for the arrests, there was no response.
Since February 24th, Rakhine youths aged between 18 and 35 have been prohibited by the Junta from traveling by air from Yangon to Rakhine State, people who have experienced these situations stated. However the Junta has denied the existence of any such restrictions.
Since February 18th, the Junta has been making arrests at Rakhine State airports for Rakhine passengers returning from Yangon to Rakhine State.
