Min Shin Saw, Narinjara News, 18 October 2024

Only the education department's teachers arespared from attendance despite the fierce fighting that is going on in AnnTown; other department employees are having a lot of trouble going to workbecause the junta is forcing them.

"The education office and otherdepartments are still open, but the schools have been shuttered since the finalweek of September. If employees do not show up for work, the generaladministration office and the junta have threatened to arrest them for civildisobedience. We are all heading to the office because we are afraid of this.Junta airstrikes continue day and night, and fighting is still going on in theAnn Town area. A staff member stated, "We are forced to keep the officeopen and work every day under continual tension despite this life-threateningscenario."

Narinjara News was informed by an anonymous education staffmember that the township's schools, including those in Ann Town, have beenclosed since the last week of September because of the increasing violence.

Among the offices located in Ann Town are thefollowing: the office for forests; immigration; customs; labor; social welfarerelief and resettlement; electricity; planning and finance; municipal;agriculture and livestock; general administration; audit; health department;education department; and construction office.

According to locals, some staff members left Ann Town as theviolence got more intense, while others were detained at junta checkpoints.

A staff member's family objected to the junta'sdecision to force departmental employees to report to the office whilemaintaining government offices open, saying that it is equivalent to employingemployees as human shields in the middle of fierce combat and nonstopexplosions and artillery fire.

The Arakan Army (AA) is reportedly winning the currentbattle in Ann Township and is drawing near Ann Town, which has forced manypeople to evacuate because the AA may soon begin an offensive against theWestern Command, according to residents.

Furthermore, the junta troops know they might have to giveup Ann Town, which would mean Western Command and other military families wouldhave to move to the mainland. Other departments' families, however, are notallowed to leave Ann Town, which makes them unhappy.