Win Nyunt — Two men detained by the Tatmadaw over the weekend in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township were released at about 9 a.m. on March 10.

A Tatmadaw unit took into custody U Maung Shwe Aye, 54, from Khaung Tote village and U Kyaw Nyein, 53, from Sapho Thar village on Sunday afternoon near Khaung Tote.

U Maung Shwe Aye told DMG that the pair were released after being questioned as to whether they were associated with the Arakan Army (AA) ethnic armed group.

“Our faces were covered when we were questioned about whether we were related with the AA. We both responded that we don’t have any links with the AA,” he said.

U Maung Shwe Aye is employed in maintenance for electricity distribution towers and was detained while returning home from Nargayar village after fixing the generator of a tower there. U Kyaw Nyein was detained along with him, after he hitched a ride on the back of U Maung Shwe Aye’s motorbike.

“We were released because we are not associated with the AA. We don’t know which unit detained us because our faces were covered,” said U Kyaw Nyein.

Fighting between the Tatmadaw and the AA continues to flare across several Arakan State townships, including Kyauktaw.