The Junta's administrative machinery is collapsing all across Rakhine State, with most government offices in the state capital of Sittwe already defunct.
"The administration sector is no longer operational. As the military situation deteriorated, staff vacated their respective departments. While some are on leave, others are absent without permission. In Sittwe, the majority of government offices stand empty”, a government employee from Sittwe said.
Another government employee, speaking anonymously to Narinjara, revealed that since mid-February, government offices in Sittwe have been without staff, despite the ongoing conflicts in northern Rakhine State having not yet reached Sittwe.
"On workdays, the office buildings' doors and windows are open as usual, but no employees show up, including top officers from various departments who are absent without leave. Now the Junta has imposed stricter rules, not letting government workers leave the city”, he added.
Similarly in Buthidaung Township, state-owned banks have remained closed since February, resulting in employees not receiving their salaries. As the conflict escalated, some fled to safety, leading to the near-complete cessation of operations in almost all government offices, a Buthidaung resident told Narinjara.
"Banks are shut, so employees cannot get paid, and all businesses have halted. Until the end of February, a few employees managed to keep departments running, but come March, offices were completely empty”, a Maungdaw resident also remarked. He added that some government offices are attempting to open one day a week, with employees taking risks even to attend.
In Paletwa, Pauktaw, Minbya, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Mrauk-U, Myebon, and Ramree townships, now under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), all Junta administrative operations have been halted. Meanwhile, in Sittwe, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Kyaukphyu, and Taungup townships, where the specter of ongoing conflict looms, the Junta's governance capacity is severely diminished.
With several townships already slipping from the Junta's control in Rakhine State, reports indicating AA’s advance towards major cities like Sittwe and Kyaukphyu have led to government offices in these areas becoming deserted.
