Six Rohingya were arrested at the Mayanchaung checkpoint in Kyaikto Township, Mon State, after they were locked behind a 22-wheel trailer truck.

On January 18, around 9:00 a.m., a white Cheng Long 22-wheel trailer truck driving from Yangon to Myawaddy, was stopped by the Military Council forces at the Mayanchaung checkpoint and six Rohingya were arrested, according to local witnesses.

A 28-year-old eyewitness commented, “ Usually they don’t check that much. I think it is because they must have got some prior information. hey checked the truck for a long time. This caused big delays for all the other cars stuck in the traffic. After ‌a long check they found them under tarpaulin. They were immediately handcuffed and taken away,”  said a 28-year-old eyewitness.

According to eyewitnesses, the 22-wheel truck was fenced with iron bars behind it and six Rohingyas were hidden under tarpaulin, after being discovered by the Military Council forces and arrested. 5 women and 1 man, and the driver, a 35-year-old man were all arrested.

Rohingya brokers take around 500,000 Kyats per Rohingya from Rakhine State and illegally smuggle them through the Mayanchaung checkpoint from Yangon to Mae Sot Thailand, and then onto Malaysia, said people close to the brokers.

On May 26, 2019 during the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, 3 Rohingya were arrested at this checkpoint, and sentenced to 3 years of hard labor and imprisonment by the

Kyaikto court under the Registration of the Residents of the Union of Myanmar Act 6(2) and 6(3).

In 2022 up to 2,091 Rohingya were arrested in Myanmar, including those who were sentenced to prison and those who died during interrogation, according to those working to help Rohingya.

From January 1- January 18 2023, 192 Rohingya were arrested in Yangon, Hinthada and Pyay, and 136 were arrested in Yangon alone during the week of New Year’ s Day, according to those working on the Rohingya issue