Arakan News Agency
Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army) detained six fishermen on Wednesday, including two Bangladeshi nationals and four Rohingya, while they were fishing in the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, and confiscated two fishing boats.
Local sources reported that the Bangladeshi fishermen are “Mohammed Salim” and “Riyaduddin,” while the other four are believed to be Rohingya refugees.
According to Arakan Beacon News, local administrative committee member Siraj Islam Mustafa Lalu said the detention was carried out by members of the Arakan militias.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Inam Al-Hafiz Nadeem, director of the Teknaf area administration, stated that authorities have not yet received official reports from the families of the detainees, noting that an official investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
Myanmar media reported that the Arakan militia’s coastal security unit stopped the fishermen, claiming they entered a maritime area under the militia’s control without authorization, and confirmed their intention to take legal action against them according to maritime laws.
Similar incidents have occurred previously at the hands of Arakan militias. Most recently, they kidnapped 16 Rohingya fishermen on two Bangladeshi boats returning from a fishing trip in the Bay of Bengal and detained 13 Bangladeshi fishermen on two other boats for allegedly fishing illegally in Arakan State waters.
In October, the militias detained four Bangladeshi fishermen, accusing them of illegal fishing in Arakan State’s territorial waters in western Myanmar. Earlier, 14 Bangladeshi fishermen were also detained, and two fishing boats were confiscated for the same alleged offense.
In August, five Bangladeshi fishermen were kidnapped along with their boat from the Naf River estuary near Naikhongchhari on the Bay of Bengal coast in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh.
Additionally, six Bangladeshi fishermen were arrested and their boat seized while fishing in the Naf River, which separates Bangladesh and Arakan State in western Myanmar. Arakan militias also kidnapped 19 Bangladeshi fishermen and confiscated their boats during fishing operations.
Buddhist Arakan militias now control most of Arakan State, following a military campaign in November 2023 against the Myanmar army. They have already taken control of large areas as a result of the ongoing conflict, which has severely affected the Rohingya population. The Rohingya have been subjected to violence, forced displacement, persecution, and forced recruitment by both sides, in addition to a prior “genocide” campaign by the Myanmar army since 2017 that forced nearly a million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
