Chin group seeks answers on alleged rape by Arakan Army members in Paletwa

A Chin political organisation has requested information from the Arakan Army (AA) about accusations that two of its members raped and tried to kill a Chin civilian woman on April 5 in Paletwa Township, Chin State, which has been under AA control for more than a year. In a public statement, the Interim Khumi Affairs Coordination Council (IKACC) noted that the AA’s leadership has remained silent about the case for more than three weeks and called on the powerful Rakhine ethnic armed group to initiate an investigation and ensure justice is served. On the morning of April 5, an officer and lower-ranking soldier of the AA, whose exact ranks are unconfirmed, allegedly raped a Chin woman in Seint Sin village in eastern Paletwa Township when she was on the way to her farm, then allegedly tried to drown her, the Chin organisations said. “The woman’s relative by marriage arrived at the scene while her assailants were attempting to kill her. The woman, who had been calling out for help, was saved,” a spokesperson for the IKACC told Myanmar Now, citing first-hand accounts from local villagers. The AA established a civilian administration to govern Paletwa Township after capturing it from junta forces in January of last year. The victim, 25, is a mother whose husband is currently working abroad, according to residents of her village. She is currently undergoing medical treatment administered by the AA, according to the IKACC spokesperson. Seint Sin village consists of around 100 households and, like the rest of the township, has been under the control of the AA for more than a year. Although the AA exercises control over the area, its troops have not taken up residence inside the village and are stationed elsewhere. Despite calls for transparency, the AA has not disclosed any information about investigations into or other actions taken against the culprits, according to the IKACC spokesperson. “Regardless of ethnicity, we will persist in urging the armed revolutionary group to take responsibility for any crimes committed against civilians,” he said. “We also call on the group to disclose the truth and offer comprehensive rehabilitation for the mental and physical trauma experienced by the victims.” Myanmar Now contacted AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha for comment on the incident, but has received no response as of Wednesday afternoon. The AA has assumed responsibility for maintaining security, local governance, and upholding the rule of law in Paletwa Township since capturing all junta bases in the township and taking full control in 2024. However, there has been friction in relations between the AA and local communities, as well as tensions between alliances of Chin groups, some of which were allied with the AA, which culminated in a gunfight last year that resulted in two deaths and clashes earlier this year. Salai Dokhar, an official from the Chin civil society group India for Myanmar, argued that the AA risks losing public trust if it does not address matters like the ongoing Paletwa case transparency. “If even the AA, seen by the public as a powerful and well-structured force, does not address this case with fairness and transparency, it could lead to growing public disappointment in the broader revolutionary movement,” he said. “Moreover, it could undermine the international community’s confidence in our ability to establish a just and accountable system through this revolution.” Although the AA-affiliated administration in Paletwa Township recently issued arrest warrants for two men accused of rape and murder in in September 2024, the AA has not disclosed any information publicly on the progress of the current case or status of the alleged perpetrators. Having taken over most of the townships in Rakhine State except Kyaukphyu, Manaung, and the capital, Sittwe, the AA has been advancing into adjacent parts of Magway, Bago, and Ayeyarwady regions in manoeuvres intended to draw away and weaken the Myanmar military.

Chin group seeks answers on alleged rape by Arakan Army members in Paletwa

The Arakan Army, a powerful Rakhine ethnic armed group, has installed its own administrative apparatus in Paletwa Township, Chin State and controls most of the territory in neighbouring Rakhine State

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