Arakan Army detains doctor, two others, in western Myanmar’s Paletwa Township

The Arakan Army (AA) has detained three local people, including a prominent doctor, in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township, according to local sources. Dr. Aye Kyaw, who heads the township’s main public hospital, was taken into custody on September 29 along with two other men and is currently being held for questioning, the sources said. The reason for their arrest was not known, but local online news outlets have noted that Dr. Aye Kyaw is actively involved in social assistance activities. According to a resident who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity, he is also a well-known businessman in the area. “He imports goods from Mizoram [in India]. Since he is quite well-off, he has motorboats that he uses to bring the goods to Paletwa and distribute them around the township,” the resident said. He added that the detainees’ families have not had any contact with them since their arrest, and that it is still unknown where they are being held. Myanmar Now reached out to AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha for a comment on the arrests, but has not yet received a response. Dr. Aye Kyaw (Zalen News) The AA, which took full control of Paletwa in January as part of its ongoing offensive against Myanmar’s military junta, was also accused earlier this week of arresting 14 ethnic Khumi men in the township. According to the Global Khumi Organisation, the detainees, from four villages along the Kaladan River, were rounded up on September 17 and 26. While the AA has not released any statement explaining the arrests, local residents say they believe the group suspects the men of having ties to the local chapter of the Chinland Defence Force, CDF-Paletwa, which also operates in the township. The AA established its own administration in Paletwa in March, but faces rival claims from the Chinland Council, a governing body formed in December 2023 with the backing of the CDF and other major ethnic Chin armed groups. Last month, leaders of various anti-regime groups based in Chin State—some at odds with the AA and others aligned with it—met in Mizoram to resolve their differences and end months of sporadic clashes. However, tensions between the AA, an ethnic Rakhine armed group, and groups wanting to assert Chin autonomy over Paletwa as part of Chin State, remain high. Paletwa, which borders Rakhine State, is home to a number of non-Chin groups, including the Khumi, Rakhine, and Mara ethnic groups. Situated west of the Kaladan River, it is also a vital route for trilateral trade involving Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh.

Arakan Army detains doctor, two others, in western Myanmar’s Paletwa Township

The reason for the arrests was not clear, but it comes days after 14 others were taken into custody in the township

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