By Jar Seng / MPA
Displaced people from Thandwe city reported that there have been thefts in abandoned houses in Thandwe, and nearby villages, Rakhine State.
On July 16, 2024, the Arakha Army (AA) took full control of all military camps in Thandwe city, including the Thandwe (Mazinn) airport and the hotel zone. Subsequently, abandoned houses in the city and nearby villages, as well as small enterprises such as clothing stores, grocery stores, bikes and motorcycles have been subject to theft.
“When battles suddenly broke out in Thandwe, my family fled to Gwa with just a few clothes, without taking anything else. We left the house as it was and asked the grandfather in the village to look after it. Recently, the grandfather told us that everything in our house had been stolen,” said local resident Ma Chaw Kay Kay from Thandwe.
Although AA currently seized Thandwe city, the military council is reportedly attempting to reclaim the lost camps by disguising their forces as civilians and continuing to deliver reinforcements and supplies, according to the statement of United League of Arakan on August 1.
The statement also highlighted that these disguised military council troops have been committing burglaries, robberies and thefts within Thandwe city.
“We fled to the villages in Gwa Township, 80 miles from Thandwe. We left our house behind. Two motorcycles and all our savings are gone. We don’t know what to do,” said a local woman from Shwe Kyaung Pyin Village, about a mile away from Thandwe.
Due to the daily artillery shelling and attacks from naval vessels stationed at Maung Shwe Lay Navy Base and the Bay of Bengal, battles in Thandwe city remain intense as the military council launches a counterattack to reclaim the city and their camps.
“Some people who stayed behind in the villages said it was safe to return, while others said not to. Many belongings were stolen, and there is even a market for the stolen goods. I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard that AA is investigating,” said one of the displaced people from Thandwe.
Additionally, AA has warned not to travel through the coastal areas near Thandwe and Gwa Townships, since the military council is reinforcing and transporting supplies and weapons to these areas via maritime routes.
Thandwe city is known for the famous Ngapali Beach in Southeast Asia and is home to Rakhine, Chin, Kamein, Bamar, a few Hindus, and Rohingya. According to the 2014 census, Thandwe Township has a total population of 68,362.
