Buthidaung, Arakan State: Ten tanks were secretly stationed in north Arakan on December 29, 2008. They were brought from Burma proper and arrived at about 2 am at the Buthidaung Military Operation Command (MOC)-15, according to a local elder who declined to be named.

On January 7, regarding the deployment of tanks in Arakan and other issues, Vice Senior General Maung Aye, Vice Chief of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Vice Chief of Defence Service and Chief of Defence Service (Army) visited north Arakan.  

Later, Vice Senior General continued his journey to Maungdaw and stayed at Nasaka Headquarters in Maungdaw where he held a meeting with District Peace and Development Council Chairman of Maungdaw, officers of Nasaka, officers of the Immigration Department of Maungdaw District and Tactical Operation Commander of Buthidaung. Nobody knows what was discussed in the meeting, said an aide of Nasaka.   

The next day, the General left for Buthidaung and proceeded to Sittwe (Akyab). On Burmese TV, the trip of Vice Senior General Maung Aye to Sittwe was shown, but his trip to north Arakan was blacked out, said a businessman from Arakan.   

Moreover, on January 9, six high level SPDC officers and the Western Command Commander Major General Thanug Aye arrived in Buthidaung Town, at about 10:45 am by a helicopter.

The names of the six senior officers were not mentioned but people believe that the Transport Minister General Tint Shew and other officers had come to inspect the situation of the border area and seek business opportunities in the area where the junta wants to develop marine products.

On the eve of the officers' arrival to Buthidaung, curfew was imposed in the town at night and there was tight security. They held discussion with local officers who did not reveal any information as to why the high ranking officers visited Buthidaung.

According to unofficial sources, these tanks were brought to Nasaka headquarters of Maungdaw and also 40 tanks had already been stationed in Buthidaung Township from Burma proper.

Local people believe that the Burmese military junta continues with its troop build up along the Burma-Bangladesh border though tension has eased after its warships withdrew from the disputed oil and gas exploration area in the Bay of Bengal. But, the two sides remained rigid on their stance on the methodology to be used for delimitation.

So, Burma is deploying troops until a solution to the disputed maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal is found.

Many in Arakan believe that the maritime problem will not be resolved easily. It will take time for it is a very complex problem.