Myanmar regime detains 220 Muslims at Sittwe Prison

By Admin 08 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

8 January 2026, Maungdaw

The Myanmar Navy has arrested 220 Muslims who travelled by boat from Maungdaw Township to Buthidaung and detained them at Sittwe Prison, according to local sources.

Members of the Muslim community in Sittwe said that a total of 248 people were arrested at sea near Sittwe on January 1. Of them, 28 have since been released, while the remaining 220 are still being held at Sittwe Prison.

"Twenty-eight people were handed over to the Muslim IDP camp committee and released to their families. However, money was demanded from family members who came to collect them. This is deliberate exploitation," said a Muslim resident of Sittwe. "It is understood that around 200 others are still being held in prison. We do not know what action will be taken against them."

Those detained have now been held at Sittwe Prison for more than a week, residents said.

Amid ongoing military conflict and a worsening food crisis in Arakan State, many Muslims attempt to travel by sea to Malaysia in search of work.

The Myanmar Navy has frequently arrested Muslims from Arakan State. On December 22, 2025, the military council arrested 28 Muslim fishermen from Pauktaw Township near Sittwe.

Muslims in Sittwe said young men face particular risks, as the military regime has been arresting Muslims and forcing them into military service.

"Among those arrested, most women are released, but very few men are," said a Muslim man from Sittwe Township. "It is understood that they have been taken for military training."

With roads blocked across Arakan State, residents are struggling to secure livelihoods and are seeking to leave the country through various means. Muslims in Sittwe Township, in particular, are reportedly being forcibly conscripted and sent to fight on the front lines.