Military detains two Muslim 100-household heads over alleged AA ties

By DMG 11 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
11 April 2022,Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime has detained two Muslim 100-household heads from Nga Pun village in Aung Dine village-tract, part of Arakan State’s Sittwe Township, on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA). 

The two local administrators, one in their 70s and the other in their 50s, were detained on Saturday, a brother-in-law of one of the detainees told DMG. 

“Soldiers arrived at our village and came to our houses, and took the two, saying that they had to interrogate them as to whether they have ties with the AA. My brother-in-law does not have any ties to any organisation,” he said. 

One local village administrator who asked not to be named for security concerns said he did not know why the two were arrested. 

“Yes, two Muslim 100-household administrators from that village were arrested by the military. I do not know why they were detained nor where they are being held,” said the administrator. 

Nga Pun village has a population of about 700 people.  

The two detainees’ whereabouts remain unknown, said the brother-in-law of one of the detainees. 

“We don’t know where they are being held. We heard that they are also looking for relatives, and we have had to flee our village,” said the brother-in-law. 

Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura of the Arakan State military council did not respond to DMG phone calls seeking comment.