Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
In Sittwe, capital of Arakan State, the Myanmar military has completely blocked local Rohingya Muslims from traveling outside the area for any reasons, additionally the army has been forcibly conscripting them to fight against Arakan Army.
Arakan News Agency (ANA) reporter stated that Rohingya are not allowed to travel even for medical treatment, visiting family, or for education. He adds that the military is also forcing some Rohingya youth to join the army, according to the Rohingya community in Sittwe.
In Sittwe, Rohingya people must apply for Form 4 if they want to travel to other regions but since the military took power, the government has made it very hard for Rohingya to get this form. Now, it’s almost impossible to get, and as a result, they are completely blocked from traveling.
A resident from Sittwe told ANA that “In the past, when someone was very sick, we could apply for Form 4 and wait about 45 days to go to Yangon for treatment. But now, that’s no longer possible. To apply for Form 4, we must submit it at the Sittwe immigration office, and then they send it to the Yangon regional office. Yangon checks it and sends it back to Sittwe. After that, Sittwe checks again and then sends it to the military officer. Only if the officer signs it, we can travel. But now, the military officer delays the process, asks for bribes, and doesn’t sign anymore. So, we can’t go anywhere”.
“Some patients died while waiting for travel permission to go to Yangon for treatment. Some were so sick they couldn’t even walk, but their families still applied for Form 4 and paid money, hoping to save them. Many of them ended up dying before they got permission”, he added.
Another resident of Sittwe said, “After the military took power, there has been even more discrimination against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State. The division that used to exist has grown bigger, especially with the immigration law. Now, they are also being treated as threats to security and are facing more severe discrimination.”
It has been reported that the military council in Sittwe is worried about potential attacks from the Arakan Army (AA) and is therefore forcing local Rohingya youth to join the military. Additionally, they are pressuring local civilians to work for the security forces and the army under the guise of providing public safety.
Additionally, it has been reported that the Myanmar government, citing security concerns, is not sending freed Rohingya people from the Sittwe and Kyaukphyu prisons back to their home areas. Instead, they are being kept in Sittwe. The military is forcing them to join the army and prepare to fight against the Arakan Army (AA) attacks. A Rohingya from the Maungdaw area, who had been released from prison, spoke tearfully when he was able to contact his family, a family member, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, shared this with ANA.
