Naung Min Thu, NarinjaraNews, 2 October 2024

A 5th grade student from the4-mile ward of Maungdaw town in Arakan State was murdered.

He was the eldest son of DawSandar Win, a deputy primary school teacher from the 4-mile ward.

The family recently returnedto their home near the 4-mile Tat Oo monastery after being displaced by theongoing conflict.

On 26 September, the11-year-old boy as usual went fishing but did not return prompting the family members to report about his missing.

On the morning hours of 29September, local residents recovered his body in front of a house in a Muslimvillage, near the 2nd border guard police battalion, which was captured by theArakan Army fighters  in August 2024.

His body showed varioussigns of atrocities including a head injury with sticks and stab wounds in hisright abdomen.

The perpetrators remainunidentified and the AA is now conducting an investigation.

A local resident speculatedthat the individuals responsible for the murder might be a member of thejunta-aligned Muslim armed groups from the 4-mile area.

"The 4-mile villagealso has Muslim youths who were conscripted by the junta forces. A Muslimsoldier who escaped without weapons from the 3-mile Thi Ho Aye village wascaptured by the residents of Ma Gyee Kone village," he added.

Thi Ho Aye village is an oldsettlement inhabited by Mro people and is located behind the 4-mile ward.

Due to the ongoingconflicts, the  villagers fled  and it turned deserted.

Most of Muslims, Hindus andArakanese nationals in the 4-mile ward fled to safer places and a few familieshave returned back.

Photograph: Welcome sign inMaungdaw (Photo by CJ)