Attempted rape of 16-year-old girl reported in Thandwe

By Admin 01 Aug 2026

DMG Newsroom

1 August 2026, Thandwe

A 16-year-old girl was the victim of an attempted rape by a married man in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, at around 8:00 AM on August 1.

The victim from Nyaungpinkwin Village in Thandwe Township, was returning home from a farm hut when U Phone Naing, 28, a fellow villager, forcibly dragged her toward a creek bank near the village and attempted to rape her.

"I sent her to our house in the village to fetch cooking oil to prepare chicken curry at the hut. On her way, he encountered her, forcefully dragged her from the road down to the creek bank, and attempted to assault her. People planting seedlings nearby noticed what was happening and approached, causing him to flee," a family member of the victim said.

While pulling her toward the creek bank, U Phone Naing verbally assaulted her with obscene language and threatened to kill her if she informed her parents about the incident.

The victim's family is preparing to lodge a formal complaint with local administrators under the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) and is calling for legal action against the perpetrator.

"He is currently acting as if nothing happened. When we mentioned taking legal action, he taunted us to report it wherever we liked. We are now headed to the local administrative office. We want him arrested and prosecuted according to the law," the victim's elder sister said.

According to data compiled by DMG, between January 20, 2024, and July 22, 2026, at least 16 cases of sexual violence, including rape and statutory rape, were recorded across areas controlled by the ULA/AA in Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State, with perpetrators remaining at large in three of those cases.

Additionally, at least four other attempted rape incidents have been documented this year in Myebon, Ramree, Kyaukphyu, and Kyauktaw townships.

Amid rising cases of sexual violence across Arakan State, local residents continue to demand effective prosecution of perpetrators and attempt-offenders, as well as full transparency regarding legal verdicts and judicial sentences.