A respected monk along with an administrator and a villager have gone missing since they were arrested by Myanmar Army personnel on 20 September, said concerned village leaders.

The monk U Kawidaza with village administrator U Wai Soe Tun and villager U Myat Maung went to Kyauk Kyat village from their native Owe Hthing locality under Mrauk U township by a car on Yangon- Sittwe highway at around 3.45 pm.

As they had arrived at Lin Mway Taung hill near to the high way, a group of soldiers stopped them and later arrested them, said a village leader from Owe Hthing.

“As we got the information about their arrest many villagers including elder women went there to meet them. We requested the army officers for allowing us to meet, but they rejected our appeal. Since then we have no information about them,” added the village leader.

As Narinjara received the information from local sources, a responsible scribe contacted the western command spokesperson Brigadier Win Zaw Oo in the afternoon. But he denied any details about their arrest.

Local lawmaker from Rakhine State parliament U Tun Tha Sein informed Narinajra over the telephone that he came to know about the incident but yet to get more details on their whereabout.

U Tun Tha Sein, however, confirmed that they were brought to Sittwe by a helicopter after landing it on Lin Mway Taung hills, where around 200 soldiers are being stationed, but thereafter he has no input.