Arakan News Agency
Local sources in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, reported that the Myanmar military detained a boat carrying more than 200 Rohingya who were attempting to travel to Malaysia.
According to One Nation News, the boat was intercepted on the night of January 1 at around 9:30 p.m. while coming from the Kyaukphyu area and was brought to Sittwe port under military escort. Witnesses noted that the boat was positioned between a military patrol boat and a larger naval vessel while being taken into the port.
Sources explained that the boat was carrying 244 civilians, including 238 Rohingya and six Rakhine people. The Rohingya passengers were attempting to cross the Bay of Bengal to reach Malaysia, a route commonly used by Rohingya fleeing persecution and severe restrictions in Arakan State.
It was reported that 188 of the detainees were transferred to Sittwe Prison, while the remaining 36 were held at Sittwe Town Police Station No. 1.
These arrests follow a similar incident on December 22, 2025, when the Myanmar military detained three boats carrying 28 Rohingya in waters near Sittwe, according to local residents.
In November, the Myanmar military detained 513 Rohingya, including a large number of women and children, in Sittwe after the Myanmar navy intercepted their boat bound for Malaysia and opened fire on it weeks before the detention.
These incidents occur amid ongoing attempts by Rohingya to flee by sea from persecution and dire humanitarian conditions. The Rohingya population in Sittwe is estimated at 110,000, residing in 16 camps, all of whom suffer from hunger crises, compounded by a lack of aid delivery, leaving vulnerable communities without support.
As a result of these dire conditions, both collective and individual suicides have occurred in Sittwe due to the strict siege on the city, rising prices, and lack of employment opportunities, exacerbating the food crisis and pushing some families to death by starvation.
