Inspections & extortion at Kyauk Ta Lone checkpoint in Kyaukphyu cause hardship to locals

Thinzar Nwe, Narinjara News, 21 August 2024

Locals passing through the Kyauk Ta Lone checkpoint in Kyaukphyu township of  Arakan State are facing difficulties due to inspections and extortion of hundreds of thousands of Kyats by the junta soldiers.

A woman who frequently uses the checkpoint informed Narinjara News that the soldiers charge Kyats  200,000 per person. Moreover the inspections are tough which create more difficulties for the residents.

"If you enter the town, you have to pay Kyats 100,000. If  you leave,  another Kyats 100,000 are needed to pay.  Everyone is checked at the point. If there are ten passengers in a car, they will demand Kyats 1 million. Many are struggling with poor health, but they too need to pay at the checkpoint," she added.

A local woman from Kyaukphyu reported that the junta forces were taking young women to a private area and during inspections they physically assaulted the women.

“Boys are regularly checked at the point, but the girls are often taken to a private area, where their clothes including  underwear are inspected," she added.

The food and medicines are often confiscated from the people passing through the checkpoint.

"The junta forces at the checkpoint will ask how many people are in their house. Then they keep the rice items separated from the villagers. If they carry medicines, those are confiscated. The families buying medicines for 2-3 months together have to hand over those to the junta forces," she said.

A military analyst told Narinjara News that as most people in Arakan State support the Arakan Army (AA), the junta treat them as AA members or sympathizers.

Currently, the junta in Arakan State is weakened as they have lost the public support. Now they depend on Muslims to guard the Kyauk Ta Lone checkpoint. Many Muslims from the camp received military training.

As the AA controls many rural villages under Kyaukphyu township, the junta forces are targeting residents in various  areas and often they arrest and extort money from the villagers.

Photo: An old photograph