Interview
Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, September 5
In July, the Arakan National League/Arakha Army (ULA/AA) arrested 77 men and women, including seven members of the Dilaap group, over alleged drug use and drug trafficking in Kyauktaw Township, which is controlled by the Arakha Army (AA).
Among them, 19 young students were officially handed back to their families on August 11, while some others were also subsequently released.
However, the remaining 17 people have not yet been released, and their family members have been unable to contact them. As a result, the families held a press conference yesterday, September 3.
Border News Agency presents the account of one of the family members:
“My son works at a funeral service office. We depend on the income he earns to support the family. His father can no longer work either. My son was taken on July 1.”
“We have not been able to see him, and we do not know where he is. We do not even know whether he is still alive. Later, we heard that he was being held in a detention cell.”
“We want them to be released as soon as possible. We have two younger brothers who support our parents. One of them has only just been released after completing 45 days of training. Now both of them have been taken away, so our family is facing serious difficulties.”
“From the day they took them, they told us that they would bring them back home by car. Since they could not find them at home that day, we asked them to go to the office to inquire about the matter. Going there was basically the same as going to be arrested.”
“All of them are young people who support their families. We went to Mrauk-U and asked around and searched for them, but we could not find them anywhere.”
“One of them had already completed the 45-day training, and now we do not want the other one to be sent into training as well. We need them to support the family at home. Now both brothers from the same family have been taken away. They were arrested because the authorities suspected them.”
