220 Muslims fleeing by boat from Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships in Arakan (Rakhine) State were intercepted at sea near the state capital, Sittwe, and detained in Sittwe Prison, according to Sittwe residents.

On January 1, a total of 248 Muslims were arrested. Of these, 28 were released by the junta, while the remaining 220 continue to be held in Sittwe Prison, the Muslim community in Sittwe City reported.

“The junta handed over 28 people to the Muslim Refugee Camp Committee and sent them back to their families. But before releasing them, the junta forced the families to pay money. This is clearly an abuse. The rest are still being held in prison, and no one knows what the junta plans to do with them,” a Muslim man from the city told DMG.

As of now, 220 Muslims remain in detention, held for more than a week.

In war-torn Arakan State, Muslims whose livelihoods have been disrupted by conflict often take dangerous sea trips to Malaysia in search of jobs and a better life.

There have also been cases in which the junta specifically targeted Muslims living in Arakan State for arrest. On December 22, 2025, the junta navy arrested 28 Muslim fishermen in Pauktaw Township.

The Sittwe Muslim community also reported that the junta often conscripts captured Muslims, leaving detained Muslim youths with little chance of escape.

“Among the Muslim detainees, women are often let go, but men rarely get released. The junta is said to send them to military training centers,” said another Muslim man from Sittwe.

After fighting flared up again in Arakan State, the junta imposed strict blockades on land routes and waterways, leading to economic hardship and food shortages for local communities. As a result, many people have tried to leave the region by any means they can.

Additionally, the junta is forcibly conscripting Muslims in Sittwe Township, which remains under its control, and sending them to the frontlines.