Upon arrival at Kyaukpyu Airport from Yangon, 67 passengers were detained by Junta forces, who then took them away to the city hall for interrogation.
A Kyaukphyu resident who was a witness, informed Narinjara that after a Myanmar Airlines plane landed at Kyaukphyu Airport at 5pm on February 18th. "At around 5:00 pm, a Myanmar Airlines plane touched down at Kyaukpyu Airport. The flight number is unknown. The passengers were primarily adult men, totaling around 67 individuals. Upon disembarking, they were immediately escorted by Junta forces and the general administrator to the city hall," he recounted.
He mentioned that the plane's passengers were transported to Ramawaddy City Hall in Government Avenue Ward, Kyaukphyu Township, where they were undergoing interrogation by the Junta forces and the general administrator. However he did not know the motives behind the interrogation. "The reasons for the interrogation remain unknown. Our main concern is that only young adults in their prime were specifically detained. There is a possibility they could be arrested under the conscription law”, he told Narinjara.
As of the evening of February 18th, the passengers detained by the Junta forces have not been released.
Since February 10th, the Junta has enforced the mandatory military service law, and its troops have been conducting overnight guest list checks at Rakhine households in Yangon, resulting in the arrest of Rakhine youth.
As reports of these arrests surfaced, Rakhine youth in Yangon are hastily making their way back to Rakhine State to avoid the potential forceful apprehension by the Junta forces.
