The State Administration Council (SAC) has issued an order for the evacuation of five Rakhine villages in Sittwe City. The State Administration Council (SAC) has set the evacuation deadline between June 10 and 14. The evacuation has affected several villages, including Yeychanpyin, Palonpyin, Aung Daing, Kyauktaw Pyin, and Ohn Yay Paw.
The SAC will resort to forcible removal if the villages remain unvacated. Today, in a recent development, the SAC initiated a significant artillery launch from their navy base in Buddamaw towards Pauktaw. However, the situation in the rest of Sittwe remains unchanged.
The evacuation orders apply to Rakhine villages, not Muslim ones, located near the Sittwe IDP camps. In response to evacuation orders, the SAC has taken measures to secure the areas surrounding the villages and the Say Tha Ma Gyi camps in Sittwe City.
The Say Tha Ma Gyi camp’s population is entirely composed of Rohingyas. Yesterday, a tragic incident occurred where a Rohingya IDP, who had escaped from Buthidaung to Sittwe, suffered a severe injury due to a landmine explosion, resulting in the loss of a leg.
Today, my sister and her family are resuming their journey from Buthidaung to Sittwe, following their forced return to Buthidaung last week. According to a reliable source, they expect to arrive in Sittwe within the next hour. On the other hand, the Rohingyas they employ have warned the SAC about the extensive presence of landmines.
In order to safely navigate the area, members of the SAC are required to pay a fee of 60,000 MMK per person. Meanwhile, a significant number of individuals are departing for Rangoon. My grandmother has already arrived in Rangoon via cargo boat.
The situation continues to be fraught with tension as families strive to secure safe passage in the face of landmines and ongoing military operations.
