Sittwe residents flee as fighting intensifies near Rakhine State capital

Residents of Rakhine State’s capital Sittwe have begun fleeing the city amid fierce clashes between regime forces and the Arakan Army (AA) in neighbouring townships. As the conflict moves closer to Sittwe three weeks after fighting erupted in the state, safety concerns and heavy security measures have driven many from their homes, residents said. According to a man living in Satt Yoe Kya, a ward in the city’s north, the sound of heavy gunfire has prompted many residents there and in Shwe Minn Gan ward, as well as in the nearby villages of Thone Saung and Zaw Madat, to flee. “They fled because they were afraid that soldiers would come and harass them and burn down their houses,” said the man, noting that regime forces had already carried out attacks on Ye Yoe Pyin and Kha Maung Taw, two villages located about 5km from Sittwe in Ponnagyun Township. “Some ran away because they were afraid, but not everyone,” he said, estimating that around a quarter of Satt Yoe Kya’s 1,000 households had decided to leave. In Thone Saung, a village of around 90 households, almost everyone has left, according to a local woman. “There are still some of us here, but we’re ready to run if we have to,” she said. In Sittwe, junta troops were patrolling the city and conducting inspections for overnight guests, residents said. Security has also been tightened around the state government office and a mile-long section of the May Yu Road, from the Lawkanandar Pagoda junction to the city’s clock tower, has been closed, they added. “We can hear heavy artillery and gunfire, but not as much for the past two days. A few days ago, we couldn’t even sleep at night because of the sound,” said a woman who spoke to Myanmar Now late Tuesday. Junta threats On Sunday evening, the junta army carried out arson attacks in Ye Yoe Pyin, destroying around 140 houses, and fired heavy artillery at Kha Maung Taw, resulting in the destruction of five homes. In Pauktaw Township, about an hour away from Sittwe by boat, junta troops aboard navy vessels fired machine guns and heavy artillery at the village of Manaw Thiri on Tuesday, causing more houses to burn down, according to a local man. Displaced residents of Pauktaw are seen on November 17 (Western News) “They started with the machine gun at around 10am, so everyone ran away. Just as people were thinking of returning a few hours later, the troops opened fire with heavy artillery, firing many times into the village as well as at the mountains,” he said. At present, both the junta army and the AA are present in Pauktaw, which has been at the centre of some of the most intense fighting in the state. The AA briefly controlled the township’s administrative centre last month, until regime airstrikes and heavy artillery fire forced it to retreat two days later. Since November 13, when the AA launched its initial attacks in Rakhine State, ending a year-long ceasefire and broadening an anti-regime offensive that began in northern Shan State in late October, most communications have been cut off in the state. However, some local media outlets have continued to report on the conflict, prompting warnings from the regime that those who use “false information” to fan tensions between the military and ethnic Rakhine locals will face prosecution. The Rakhine Daily, a social media page operated by junta-appointed state authorities, said that action would be taken against anyone who shared or commented on posts by the accused media outlets. Those doing so from abroad will face punishment when they seek to renew their passports, it added. ‘Fear for our young people’ On Monday, the Rakhine Daily reported that two residents of Sittwe, identified as Kyaw Naing Lin and Saw Khin Aye, had already been arrested and charged with incitement under Section 505a of the Penal Code. There were also reports of arrests late last week. On November 30, junta troops apprehended 11 young people at a tea shop in Min Gan ward, while 10 were taken into custody the following day at a tea shop in Myo Thu Gyi ward, according to local sources. “Hearing about all these arrests makes me fear for our young people. Some parents aren’t allowing their sons to go out because of this. Some are even sending their children away,” said another woman from Sittwe. At especially great risk are student activists and charity workers, many of whom have fled the city or gone into hiding, residents said. According to a statement released by the AA and its allies in late November, nearly 100 people had been arrested for alleged ties to the group since it started its operations in Rakhine State last month. The AA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, which also includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army. The alliance launched it Operation 1027 offensive in northern Shan State on October 27. In addition to Rakhine and Shan states, the AA is also active in Chin State. On Tuesday, it announced that it had captured the junta’s Tarunaing strategic base in Paletwa Township, in the southern part of the state, after three weeks of fighting. Several bodies and large amounts of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment were found at the captured base, which has two helipads, the AA said in a statement. It also reported that there were a number of AA casualties, but did not provide any details, saying only that “we were able to acquire the base with sacrifices.” The AA is still fighting to capture the remaining Hnone Bu strategic base in Paletwa Township, according to the statement.

Sittwe residents flee as fighting intensifies near Rakhine State capital

The sound of heavy artillery fire and attacks on nearby villages, as well as junta efforts to tighten control over the city, have prompted many Sittwe residents to leave

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