Thazin flower cultivation in Arakan State is declining due to armed conflict, natural disasters and a shrinking number of growers, raising concerns that the prized orchid could face extinction.

Hundreds of Chinese security personnel have been deployed in Kyaukphyu Township, where fighting has intensified, to protect China-backed oil, gas and electricity projects, local sources said.

In an era when daily news from Arakan is often fragmented and fast-changing, DMG's Weekly Highlights of Arakan brings clarity, depth, and context to the stories that matter most.

The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), which controls most of Arakan State, has opened a medical school to strengthen healthcare services for the local population.

Clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and Muslim armed groups have intensified in recent days in northern Taungpyo Letwe Town and near border markers in Maungdaw Township along the Arakan State-Bangladesh border, according to local sources.

As fighting intensifies in Sittwe, Myanmar Navy warships have increased their presence in the Kaladan River estuary, with residents reporting heightened activity near the coast of Pauktaw Township.

Local fishermen say the fishing industry in Arakan State is facing serious difficulties due to the depletion of water resources in rivers, lakes and the sea, leading to a sharp decline in fish and shrimp production.

Fighting remains intense after the Arakan Army (AA) captured two forward outposts of the junta's Regional Command Headquarters in Sittwe, which is still under the control of Myanmar's military regime, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Residents in Ramree Township, Arakan State, are calling on the United League of Arakan (ULA) to provide public part-time internet services to support local economic and social connectivity.

Fighting in Kyaukphyu Township has intensified since late December 2025, prompting junta battalions near the island town to strengthen their defenses with barbed wire fences.

Fighting is reportedly intense as Myanmar's military regime launches offensives against areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) and allied resistance forces in Laymyethna Township, Ayeyarwady Region.

Myanmar's military regime is reportedly restricting patients from Sittwe and Kyaukphyu from carrying sufficient medicines back to Arakan State by air after receiving treatment in Yangon.

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.

Clashes have intensified in recent days near the Point 666 hilltop camp in Padaung Township, Bago Region, which is under siege by an Arakan Army (AA)-led coalition. The military regime is reportedly suffering heavy losses.

Fighting for control of Kyaukphyu, which began in February 2024 near the Danyawadi naval base and in Simaw, Ukin and Kyattein villages in Kyaukphyu Township, has intensified since early 2026, according to local and military sources.

Sporadic clashes have been reported in northern Maungdaw, Arakan State, since the beginning of this year as Muslim armed groups, including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), have been moving in and out of Arakan State from Bangladesh, according to local sources.

The remains of three women from Ohn Taw Village in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, who went missing after being arrested by junta troops, have been found near the military regime's No. 32 Police Battalion, local residents said.

More than 50,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, are in urgent need of emergency assistance as fighting continues to escalate.

The Arakan Army (AA) has been attacking several military bases in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, in recent days, with the military regime responding fiercely, resulting in intense fighting on both sides, according to military sources.