The
United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) hand in hand with the Arakanese
Peoples has robustly been facing the massive offensive assaults and attacks
from all sides of the racial extremist, invading fascist, war criminal Myanmar
Army for almost two years. The Myanmar Army has constantly been conducting the
four-cut-campaign in the areas of Arakan and Paletwa even amid the spread of
the Coronavirus pandemic second wave. The Myanmar Government has deliberately
been covering up the atrocious human rights violations, crimes against
humanity, and war crimes of its military by cutting off internet access in ten
townships for over a year.
In
addition, the Myanmar Army has not only severely restricted but also blocked
off the flow of goods and traveling by land and waterways. The inhabitants know
well such the heinous acts of the Myanmar Army since before the Coronavirus
outbreak. Due to the disruption of the internet connection, there has been no
harm to our organization except for the health, education, socio-economic, and
hardship of all local innocent civilians amid the prevention and combating the
spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The
traveling by the land and waterways in the environs of Paletwa area have
strictly been blocking off by the battalions based in Paletwa Township and Chin
State, the battalions under the command of the 11th, 55th, and 77th Divisions.
The checkpoints of these battalions have been installed along with the land and
waterways where innocent civilians normally travel and severely restricted the
flow of goods and travel. Moreover, the Myanmar Army has continuously been
conducting cutting off and blocking off the transportation from the
four-cut-campaign with together their military operation throughout the Paletwa
Township. Therefore, road closure in the Paletwa area is nothing to do with us
but it is because of the checkpoints of the Myanmar Army installing along with
the land and waterways.
The
so-called security checkpoints of the Myanmar Army have been charging
exorbitant fees from the vehicles traveling on the land and waterways. Each of
the trucks and boats is taxed from (50,000 kyats) to (200,000 kyats). Those
seeking their daily livelihood are having to pay bribes at the gates of the
Myanmar Army. As a result, consumers are having to buy the goods at higher
prices than before because basic food items are being sold at higher prices
than usual. For example, a bag of rice worth 20,000 kyats (current price) in
Kyauktaw Town, Arakan costs up to 50,000 kyats in Paletwa Town. The difficulty
of transportation and rising prices for the basic groceries are nothing to do
with the Arakan Army but it is because of the checkpoints of the Myanmar Army
controlling the flow of the goods and transportation ways along with the land
and waterways.
In
addition, the Myanmar Army has been forcing trucks and boats as porters without
paying any money to transport its military equipment at those checkpoints. The
innocent civilians are not allowed to travel safely and the Myanmar Army’s
troops at those checkpoints have brazenly been committing thuggish acts such as
occasionally firing the heavy and light weapons, killing, abducting, and
torturing the innocent civilians, and unlawfully confiscating the goods.
The
United League of Arakan/Arakan Army ineluctably has to summon and interrogate
some suspects as needed to prevent enemy tactics and incursions during the
battles. However, everyone knows that the faultless and innocent civilians were
released after being interrogated in accordance with the Code of Conduct
without torturing and killing.
On
the other hand, some Chin Civil Society Organizations backed by veterans of the
Myanmar Army and some so-called Chin social media outlets under the shadow of
their influence and orders have been covering up the truths of Paletwa
Township, misrepresenting the real situation on the ground and spreading
one-sided accusations and propagandas, and intentionally misleading the public
by misrepresenting information. It is a collaboration with the enemy to blame on
our organization for war crimes committed by the Myanmar Army.
The
news of the disappearance of some Paletwa residents is one of their propaganda
allegations. We would like to make it clear and decisively deny that our
organization has never detained any of the individuals involved in the
allegations. Our organization is deeply concerned about the survival and fate
of these missing persons. These are baseless allegations and only imaginative
actions to decoy the other organization because they want to encourage the
enemy from the other side.
https://www.arakanarmy.net/post/clarification-of-the-true-instance-and-situation-about-paletwa-area
Such
acts are often carried out by the terrorist group, invading fascist, Myanmar
Army backed by the Myanmar Regime, which is the main body responsible for the
detention and torture of local innocent ethnic civilians. It is respectfully
clarified that the truth and justice will be obtained if the investigation is
conducted with an impartial point of view and free from corruption.
United
League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA)
