Maung Sar Ga, Narinjara News, 18 February 2025 

The Arakan Army (AA) has freed around 200 relatives of war prisoners, including a police lieutenant colonel, for the second occasion. 

As reported by sources close to the AA, a total of 198 relatives of prisoners of war, comprising one police lieutenant colonel and 197 others, who were captured during the clashes in the Arakan area, have recently been freed.

The released persons, comprising 51 males and 147 females, were returned to their families at a ceremony arranged by the AA. 

U Khaing Kaung San, Executive Director of the Wan Lark Foundation, informed Narinjara News that the release is an encouraging development, providing the freed prisoners of war a chance to reconstruct their lives and determine their future on their own. 

“Allowing their release enables them to reconnect with their families and take control of their own future. This also enables them to work and live without restrictions. Nonetheless, even after their release, relocating to different areas might still pose challenges for them. Nevertheless, providing them a chance to live and work comfortably in Arakan State, where they were liberated, is a positive step," he stated. 

In the first week of February, the AA had released 116 prisoners of war, comprising 40 men, 76 women, and 26 civilian captives. These people were relatives of soldiers taken prisoner during the Arakan offensive. 

As per AA reports, over 100 prisoners of war and their families have died, while more than 120 others have sustained injuries from repeated airstrikes conducted by the junta on temporary detention centers, where prisoners of war are kept and readied for release.