Fishermen harassed as Myanmar junta steps up naval offensives in Rakhine

Fishermen in coastal areas of Rakhine State are being detained and beaten amid intensifying efforts by Myanmar’s military to retake territory lost to the Arakan Army (AA), according to local residents. Late last week, the regime deployed airstrikes and warships in a bid to land troops on Nga Pyi Kyun, a strategically important island in Pauktaw Township located at the mouth of the Kaladan River near Sittwe, the state’s junta-controlled capital. The offensive began on October 7 and continued over the next three days, with junta troops also firing heavy artillery from Sittwe, a local woman told Myanmar Now. “The fighting here is heavy. It’s terrifying. I’m inside a bomb shelter right now,” the woman said on Friday (October 9), adding that aircraft were circling overhead and explosions could be heard as she spoke. Meanwhile, intense clashes have also been reported along Sittwe’s border with AA-controlled Ponnagyun Township, as well as in Kyaukphyu Township, which remains under regime control. The junta began pushing into Ponnagyun more than a month ago, but has so far been repelled by AA forces. In Kyaukphyu Township, fighting has centred around the Taung Maw Oo naval base, which the regime has been attempting to defend from an AA offensive since June. In other areas, military vessels patrolling coastal waters have made it increasingly dangerous for local fishermen to go to sea, according to local residents. A junta naval vessel inspects local boats near Sittwe in March 2023 (Photo: Myanmar Now) On October 6, a naval warship stopped three men in a motorised boat while they were fishing in the waters between Myebon and Kyaukphyu townships. According to a woman related to one of the men, they were beaten and thrown into the water after everything in the boat was seized. The junta sailors who abducted them then sank the boat, she added. The men were identified as Myint Maung San, 36, Myint Tun Aung, 32, and Ye Lin Aung, 23. The fishermen swam toward shore after being thrown into the water, but only two of them were rescued. Myint Maung San remains missing, according to local sources. The incident followed other reports of harassment involving fishermen in the township. On October 2, naval forces arrested and beat three fishermen from the village of Kyun Thar Yar before releasing them, a Myebon resident said. The troops threatened to seize the men’s boat and everything in it, the resident said. They also warned the fishermen not to return. In a separate incident on September 8, military troops burned a motorised fishing boat from Kyun Thar Yar in the Myebon River and arrested its owner, who was later released, according to local sources. Residents said naval warships regularly patrol the sea route between Kyaukphyu and Sittwe, intercepting local fishing boats and detaining fishermen. The incidents have left many afraid to fish, threatening their livelihoods. The military has increasingly relied on naval vessels as it seeks to regain territory lost to the AA across Rakhine State. The group controls 14 of the state’s 17 townships, while the military continues to hold Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Munaung.

Fishermen harassed as Myanmar junta steps up naval offensives in Rakhine

At least one fisherman has gone missing after being beaten and thrown into the water following the seizure and sinking of his boat

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