Fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) has raged almost every day in Rakhine state despite calls for a ceasefire amid a large outbreak there of Covid-19 cases over the past week.
Myanmar has recorded its highest number of new cases yet in a 24-hour period with 30 infections reported on Tuesday evening and 70 on Wednesday morning, the majority of which were in Rakhine.
Officials have now reported 105 news cases in the state since August 16, most of them locally transmitted and found in Sittwe, with others in Buthidaung, Thandwe, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw, and Kyaukphyu. The whole country has now logged 574 cases in total since March 23.
Yet despite calls for a global ceasefire to help contain the pandemic, fighting in the region has continued unabated.
At about 8.30pm on August 22, five villagers including a three-year-old child were injured by artillery shelling in Kyauk Yan Tharzi village in Rathedaung township.
Villagers said the shells that landed in the village came from artillery fire at Manyindaung village, a mile and a half away.. Kyaw Aye, 46, Aye Than Nu, 43, Myat Lay Thu, 3, Tun Tin, 35, and Khin Lin Wai, 16, all suffered injuries.
The shelling took place without an apparent clash, and another took place outside of the village around the same time, a villager said. A military unit set up base in Manyindaung two months ago, they added, asking to remain anonymous.
Khin Saw Wai, an MP for Rathedaung, said she personally asked officials to help get injured villagers to a hospital.
It was extremely difficult to get the injured villagers to the Rathedaung public hospital overnight as there was artillery fire along the way, said Ashin Ku Wai Ra, of Kyauk Yan Tharzi village.
“They were firing from Manyindaung, there’s a military base there.” said the monk. “When the shelling happened within the village, five people were injured. A woman was hurt in the back of her head and it’s worrying for her. There was firing on the way to Rathedaung too. Even the boats can’t pass, the military would fire at you,” he added.
Injured villagers were taken from their village in the morning to be put in the Rathedaung public hospital, said Bekka, who goes by one name and is chairman of the local Bekka and Brothers Charity.
“We couldn’t fetch them at night because it was too late and, you know, imagine the state of these places. It’s difficult to get there and get back out. We’re taking all the villagers to the hospital now,” he told Myanmar Now at the time.
The village, 13 miles away from the town of Rathedaung, has over 160 houses with a population of about 1,000. Locals said they were seeking safety in nearby villages.
The military announced it would carry out a “clearance operations” in the Kyauktan region on June 25, but revoked the announcement three days later after thousands of people fled their homes.
Local civil society groups in Rakhine estimate over 200,000 have been displaced by fighting between the military and the AA since late 2016.
In Kyauktaw township, the families of 17 villagers who were taken by Tatmadaw soldiers say they have had no contact with the men or any update about them for six months.
Eighteen people were taken from Tinmakyi and Tinmathit villages on April 13 and 16. A few days after their capture, 62-year old Maung Tun Sein, from Tinmathit, was found dead in a stream near his village. The remaining 17 are still uncontactable, said Aye Aye Yi, one of the family members.
Aye Aye Yi’s 16-year-old son, Tun Tun, was among those taken.
“I have one child and he’s been taken away from me. I’ve been crying every single day,” she told Myanmar Now.
Asked about the villagers’ arrests, Rakhine’s borders affairs minister, Colonel Min Than, said they have been charged under the anti-terrorism law.
“The army doesn’t just do things recklessly. After we arrest them, we file cases and proceed with it,” he said.
But there are no records of their cases being filed at the Kyauktaw police station, said Tun Win, an MP for Kyauktaw township. Even the men’s whereabouts is unknown, he added.
“We’ve reported it to the human rights commission and other departments, but there’s been no response,” he said.
Tinmathit village has about 100 houses, and Tinmakyi has about 600. Both are located 10 miles north of Kyauktaw, on the way to Paletwa.
In February the AA attacked a military base in Mee Wa village, which is also between Kyauktaw and Paletwa. The clashes went on for over 40 days until mid-April.
According to reports from Sittwe-based aid group Thazin, over 1,000 people have been taken captive by both armed groups in Rakhine. More than 800 of those have been charged under the anti-terrorism law and over 300 people are facing trial.
Khaing Kaung San, a founder of the Sittwe-based Wan Lark Foundation, said the government needs to allow the AA to join peace talks.
On August 24, the Tatmadaw announced a unilateral ceasefire until the end of September in order to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, but the AA was excluded from that offer.
“If the clashes keep on going like this, it’s a heavy-hearted thing for all of the people of Rakhine,” said Khaing Kaung San.
We are all worried that shortages of goods and food might happen because of Covid-19. If that happens and the fighting continues, I don’t dare to think about it.”
