Myanmar Military Arrests 3 Government Employees in Sittwe on Suspicion of AA Ties

Narinjara, 23 July 2026

The Myanmar military has arrested three government employees in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, over suspected links to the Arakan Army (AA).

Local sources report that following the July 20 arrest of Fire Sergeant Ko San Oo, military forces detained a general administration driver and a radiology department staff member from Sittwe General Hospital.

The driver has been identified as Ko Min Min from Sittwe's Sanpya Ward, while the hospital employee's identity remains withheld by family members due to severe security concerns.

Security has intensified across Sittwe. Military personnel, police, and intelligence operatives are heavily monitoring civilian movements and conducting targeted searches based on informant leads.

In a separate incident on July 21, a group of seven Myanmar military personnel abducted 58-year-old U Tha Han, the head of the Sinku Road School IDP Camp.

This marks his second detention; he was previously arrested on June 15 and released on June 22 before being re-arrested by the Sittwe-based Regional Operations Command (Dakasa).

Numerous Rakhine civilians remain in military custody under various charges, with their families staying silent out of fear of military retaliation.