Seven guarantors released after month-long detention over NDEP travel permit violations

By Admin 12 Sep 2026

DMG Newsroom

12 September 2026, Mrauk-U

Seven guarantors who signed travel authorization documents for youths eligible under the National Defense Emergency Provision (NDEP) were detained for nearly one month after the permit recipients fled Arakan State, according to local sources.

The United League of Arakan (ULA) enacted the NDEP in Arakan State in May 2025, restricting travel outside Arakan State for youths eligible for military service.

Under NDEP regulations, residents seeking to travel to border areas for commercial trade must apply for travel permits at local administration offices, supported by formal guarantees signed by two personal witnesses.

The ULA authorities detained four men and three women after several individuals who obtained trade travel permits used border routes to flee Arakan State instead of conducting legitimate business.

The group, comprising three residents from Lekka Village in Mrauk-U Township, one displaced person from Sittwe Township residing in Lekka Village, and three residents from Ohtein Village, was released on bail on September 9 after nearly a month in custody.

Local traders in Mrauk-U expressed concern that fraudulent permit applications and subsequent arrests could lead to stricter regulations and bureaucratic delays for legitimate business owners.

“When issuing travel permits, officials must rigorously verify whether an applicant is an active trader. Fraudulent applications and subsequent detentions create processing delays for actual merchants. Applicants need to act with honesty, and authorizing officials must implement proper screening measures,” said a male resident in Mrauk-U.

NDEP guidelines state that individuals who violate travel regulations face immediate enrollment in military training. Following the introduction of the NDEP, many young people seeking to avoid military recruitment have attempted to leave Arakan State through various routes.

At least 80 youths detained while trying to leave Arakan State were transferred to military training centers, according to an August 31 report by the Center for Arakan Studies (CAS).

The CAS report highlighted that ongoing armed conflict, military recruitment drives, travel restrictions, unemployment, and educational disruptions continue to cloud the future of youth across Arakan State, deepening a generational crisis.

“When military recruitment takes place, underage youths or students who left school to support their families are sometimes targeted. These conditions compel young people to seek exit options by any means available,” said an Arakanese youth in Kyauktaw Township.

A two-month survey conducted by the Youth Lead Organization (YLO) across five village-tracts in Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, and Sittwe townships found that up to 55 percent of young people in Arakan State face unemployment, alongside a lack of job opportunities, vocational skills, and capital to start small businesses.