Nearly 100 Muslims Imprisoned in Sittwe After Being Accused of Having Links to AA

News ၊ July 1, 2026

Military Junta members in 2021 after military coup. (Photo - Crd)

Local residents and sources close to the prison stated that terrorist military junta forces in Sittwe, Arakan State, have been continuously arresting and wrongfully imprisoning Muslim citizens under the pretext of communicating with the Arakan Army (AA).

A local resident said that the terrorist military council has been unlawfully arresting civilians since the resumption of fighting in 2023, and that a large number of Muslims from Sittwe have been arrested this year in 2026.

A person close to the Sittwe Prison also stated, "In 2026, nearly 100 Muslims were wrongfully sentenced in Sittwe Prison under Section 17(1) for allegedly communicating with the Arakan Army (AA). They were also charged under Anti-Terrorism Sections 50(j) and 52(a). It is completely unjust. Even those arrested for violating curfew orders were prosecuted under anti-terrorism sections and sentenced to prison. Both young individuals and elderly people have been imprisoned."

Sittwe is a city controlled by the terrorist military council, where a curfew has been declared and shoot-to-kill orders have been issued. Consequently, local residents report that military council personnel are blatantly committing atrocities against the civilian population.

It is reported that local residents, including Muslims, are trapped inside Sittwe; they are not allowed to go outside, and they are also unable to go out to sea to fish.

It is learned that between 2024 and 2025, the terrorist military council forcibly expelled local residents from villages near Sittwe. As a result, the villagers have been displaced and are staying at monasteries inside Sittwe, managing to survive under makeshift conditions.

The terrorist military council personnel also unlawfully arrested civilians from other villages, including residents of Byain Phyu village, prosecuting and imprisoning them under Section 17(1) as well as under various anti-terrorism sections.

Although the local people of Sittwe wish to travel to areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), they remain trapped and unable to leave the city because terrorist military council forces are unlawfully blocking them.

Source@westernnews