Regime reinforces security in Sittwe with new fencing and tightened restrictions

By Admin 16 May 2026

DMG Newsroom

16 May 2026, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime is constructing new fences to step up security around entry and exit points, military areas, and near army bases in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, which remains under junta control.

To prevent offensives by the Arakan Army from entering the city and to stop local residents from leaving or entering, the regime has been installing barbed wire and fences around Sittwe, along Strand Road, and at ViewPoint Beach since August 2024.

Currently, as the posts holding up the barbed wire have rotted and decayed, and the wire itself has broken in places, the regime is fortifying the barriers using new concrete posts.

"The bamboo fences that were set up along Strand Road have broken down in some places. They are now digging holes to plant concrete posts there. We can also see them putting up fences around army camps and military areas," said a female resident of Sittwe.

In Sittwe, where fighting remains a constant threat, the regime has tightened security both inside and outside the town. In urban areas, it has intensified overnight guest list checks since the beginning of April.

Using overnight guest list inspections as a pretext, the military has been conducting surprise checks in densely populated neighborhoods of Sittwe, leading to a series of arrests.

On May 9, junta soldiers arrested six internally displaced men who were taking refuge at Seitta Thukha Monastery in Sittwe. One of them reportedly died after being beaten during interrogation.

"We can see them building new fences at the entry and exit points of Sittwe. They are repairing damaged sections and completely blocking off previously permitted access points with fences. Guest list checks are also happening two or three times a day. The military is visibly tightening its security grip," said a male resident of Sittwe.

Sittwe residents are living in constant fear for their safety due to the military's arbitrary arrests, interrogations, beatings, and threats.

The Arakan Army has captured and controls almost all territories in Arakan State, leaving only three towns, Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung, under regime control.

In April, Arakan Army chief Maj-Gen Twan Mrat Naing vowed to completely capture the remaining regime-controlled towns in Arakan State before the end of 2027.

Observers say this is likely why the regime is now prioritizing and heavily focusing on the security of Sittwe.

"The Arakan Army chief has promised to completely clear out the remaining regime-controlled towns in Arakan State before the end of 2027. Sittwe is the last remaining town for the Arakan Army in northern Arakan State. Therefore, the regime is deeply concerned and is preparing as much as they possibly can," an observer monitoring the military situation in Arakan State analyzed.

While clashes between the regime and the Arakan Army are currently quiet in Sittwe, the former is reinforcing its military strength inside the town and preparing its defensive positions.

Furthermore, as part of its preparations against an Arakan Army offensive, the military has forced residents from more than 20 villages inhabited by Arakanese people around Sittwe Township to relocate into the town center since 2024, effectively trapping them inside.

Sittwe is the capital of Arakan State and serves as a hub for foreign interests, including the India-backed Kaladan Project and Bangladesh border trade stations.

Because the regime has blocked all entry and exit routes to Sittwe, commodity prices in the town have skyrocketed, leaving local residents facing severe livelihood crises.