Four townships in Arakan State, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Ponnagyun, and Kyauktaw, have been blocked from the Internet for five months and it’s continued to cause problems.

A group of five student unions, which came from Pakhoku to provide food supplies at IDP camps in Arakan State, was stopped by the authorities in Ann but later was allowed to keep traveling to Minbya on October 19 because of intervention by the State Hluttaw, the student union group said.

On October 15, two children went missing after a boat capsized. The vessel was carrying a family who have been forced to flee from their home because of fighting which took place near Waithali Village of Mrauk-U Township since 9 a.m. in the morning, according to U Thar Sein, the Pyithu Hluttaw Represtantive of Mrauk-U Township.

“We have children who have been displaced from their villages because of the fighting. And we also have families who can’t maintain a decent quality of life even though they aren’t refugees. So they (families) send their children to the monastery,” the monk said.

The sister of the Arakan Army (AA) Chief Maj-Gen Twan Mrat Naing has been detained along with her family on 18 October by the police at the Yangon International Airport after they returned from Bangkok, Thailand on 18 October, a member of the family who declined to be named told the DMG.

“We found some food and landmines at the seized camp,” the military spokesperson said. None of the Tatmadaw members were killed or injured in the clash but some fighters from Arakan Army (AA) were hurt, Colonel Win Zaw Oo said.

“We earn our living by brewing Nipa palm juice. We solely rely on this business for our livelihood including healthcare and education. Now we have some problems and would like to request the government to support us commercially to distill liquor from Nipa palm juice.”

“Schools as well as government offices are closed during the Thadingyut holiday. All traffic accidents occurred at midnight. Some students from the University of Distance Education arrived in Sittwe to sit for examination. Reckless driving of motorcycles and consumption of liquor may cause most of the traffic accidents.”

“Tuition fees are increasing year after year. When I was a first-year student in 2016, tuition fees were around MMK 55,000. Being a third student this year, tuition fees were increased to over MMK 100,000. The tuition fees doubled within a few years,”

“When our troops surrounded the Tatmadaw’s temporary camp near Tin Nyo village in Mrauk-U Township, the camp guard soldiers ran away. We have seized food and weapons from the camp,” Khaing Thukha, the AA’s spokesperson said.

“The accident happened at around 9 a.m. Now the village is surrounded by the Tatmadaw, and imagination officials are also here to check us. We all have to stay at our house. We don’t know yet what will happen,” a resident in Shin Kharli village said.

A man and a woman were injured from a clash between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) at around 1 p.m. on October 17 near Pyin Chaung village in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State.

“Two helicopters fired guns the fighting area, and bullet shells landed on my house and left a hole in the roof. People in the village are safe. We were afraid of the situation but unable to flee our homes because we were worried we would pinned down by gunfire during our exodus. So we just hid under the houses during the barrage of gunfire,”

“We are obliged to say that we were not involved in this issue. But we will question our members because the AA mentioned their names. If they actually took part in the case, we will take the action against them according to our rules,” Colonel Khaing Saw Mya said.

“He was shot three times in his waist and two times in his head. He is now in a serious condition. The doctor in Sittwe hospital said that fragments of the bullets were found in his intestine,” said Daw Hla Kyawt Sein, mother of Nay San Win.

“We are providing it to the students depending on their needs. We ask the students to apply for free tuition and housing, and for food and transportation fees. Some students apply for tuition and housing fees. Some apply only for the tuition fee while others apply for housing and other fees,”

Colonel Win Zaw Oo, head of the Western Command, said that it was quite lucky for the villagers that the Tatmadaw only shot at the AA with heavy weapons.

“I would have liked to carpet bomb them, if possible,” he said.

“They let the women go back home. They got drunk and broke into the shops in the village to get food. They killed the chickens for food as well – they are just doing whatever they please,” Ko Aung San Moe said.

Two brothers from Ywar Thar Yar village in Myebon Township have been missing for eight days, family members said.