Arakan News Agency | Special
Residents of the city of “Maungdaw” in Arakan state, western Myanmar, called on authorities on Sunday to enforce the law and apprehend those involved in the dramatically increasing thefts, robberies, and crimes in the city.
A correspondent from the Arakan News Agency reported that the past few days in “Maungdaw” witnessed several thefts targeting individuals, in addition to robberies affecting several shops.
The correspondent explained that last Wednesday saw thieves breaking into a motorcycle repair workshop at the entrance of “Khayae Myaing” village, south of the city, where they stole spare parts, batteries, and work tools valued at three million Myanmar Kyat (675 USD).
The workshop owner, “Ko Than Su,” told the Arakan News Agency, “I will have to pay for everything. I know the thieves, and we contacted the Arakan Army intelligence team and filed a complaint with the names of the thieves. There are intelligence officers in the village, but they have not yet managed to identify and arrest the thieves.” He added, “We are not rich, and everyone is working today to earn a living.”
On the same day, a livestock trader was also robbed at the entrance of the same city while returning to his home, where four men stopped him and demanded 50,000 Kyat (11 USD). When he refused, they forcibly stole his money bag. Residents say thefts have reached up to 200,000 Myanmar Kyat so far (25 USD).
Residents confirmed that internally displaced persons’ homes around “Maungdaw” are being broken into and looted at night, and thefts are escalating day by day. The owner of one of the homes told the Arakan News Agency, “If a thief is caught in the act, there is no point in handing him over to the nearby Arakan Army outpost due to bribes exchanged between the thieves and the Arakan Army forces.”
Residents expressed their fears that theft, robbery, and gambling crimes may worsen and lead to killings if the competent authorities do not arrest the perpetrators and take action against them. The residents confirmed the rise in nighttime thefts in the city recently, accusing the Arakan Army of negligence.
Even after more than six months since the Arakan Army took control of Maungdaw, the security situation remains unstable. The majority of displaced persons, including the Rohingya, remain in nearby villages amid criticism of the Arakan Army’s disregard for these crimes. Violations by the Arakan Army against the Rohingya continue and include the closure of their homes following malicious complaints, seizing them, confiscation of their valuable properties, and displacement of many families.
The Arakan Army launched a military campaign in November 2023 against the Myanmar Army to take control of the state, successfully capturing 14 out of 17 cities. This conflict has severely affected the Rohingya, who have suffered violence, forced displacement, and persecution from both sides, following a genocide campaign by the Myanmar Army in 2017 that pushed nearly a million of them to flee to Bangladesh.
