Local residents in Arakan State are calling for the release of family members detained by the military on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA) during the latest round of clashes between the two sides, which came to a halt with an informal ceasefire on November 26.

A growing segment of fishermen who depend on Arakan State’s rivers, streams and creeks for their livelihoods have halted their work due to decreasing catches and increases in the price of fishing equipment.

Myanmar’s military has reportedly forced some internally displaced people (IDPs) from displacement camps in downtown Paletwa, Chin State, to serve as porters, transporting food rations for troops.

Three Myanmar military jets dropped bombs on the Mt. Victoria headquarters of the Chin National Army (CNA), the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), killing the five and wounding at least 10 others, according to a source close to the CNF.

Local residents have criticised municipal authorities and traffic police for failing to handle irresponsible parking by auto-rickshaws, motorcycles and other vehicles on the roads near Sittwe’s central market. The lack of regulation has frequently caused traffic chaos, these residents say.

The bamboo handicrafts industry is fading and may one day be non-existent in many Arakan State townships, locals have warned.

Local residents in the Arakan State capital Sittwe have complained about authorities’ lack of action to keep clean a major lake that supplies water to around 10 wards.

Complaints to the relevant anti-trafficking units about human trafficking among local people in Arakan State remain unreflective of the extent of the problem, according to the No. 5 Anti-Trafficking Task Force (Sittwe).

Myanmar’s military regime has begun conducting a population census in townships across Arakan State in order to facilitate the compiling of voter lists, according to village administrators and local residents.

Numerous school-aged children are among those who fled their homes due to renewed fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State over recent months, with many of  those children still deprived of their right to education.

Health officials are warning that special attention should be paid to strokes, which are more common during cold weather due to constricted blood vessels.

Junta travel restrictions on local and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) have effectively cut off food supplies to more than 28,000 displaced Muslims in Arakan State’s Myebon and Pauktaw townships.

Celebrations commemorating the 12th Daingnet or Thetkama National Day was held in Letpankon Village, part of Arakan State’s Minbya Township, on Saturday.

Prison guards and inmates came to blows as some political prisoners attempted to stage a protest over persecution in the penitentiary, a prison source confirmed.

Arakan State saw 73 fire outbreaks in 2022, with financial losses totalling nearly K137 million, according to data from the Arakan State Fire Service Department.

Agriculturalists are saying there is a need to grow more oil crops as Arakan State relies on mainland Myanmar for self-sufficiency in edible oil due to the weak agricultural legacy of recent decades.

Not only men but also women are leaving Arakan State for foreign countries in search of better economic prospects, according to women’s rights organisations.

The No. 1 Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge over the Moei River in Myawaddy, Kayin (Karen) State, which had been closed for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability, has reportedly reopened to traffic as of January 5.

Humanitarian operations in Arakan State have been largely shackled by the Myanmar military regime, which has targeted charities and social activists helping local communities and internally displaced people (IDPs).