Myanmar army fortifies Sittwe as Arakan Army pushes
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- Arakan Army launched a sweeping offensive in November 2023, and by the end of 2024 it controlled 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships, Paletwa Township in Chin State, and key border areas, leaving the Myanmar military only in Sittwe, part of Kyaukphyu Township and the island of Munaung.
- Myanmar military imposed a blockade on Rakhine, cutting food, telephone, internet, electricity and banking services, and carried out regular airstrikes, including a December strike on a Mrauk‑U hospital that killed more than 30 people.
- Myanmar military forced residents of Byaing Phyu village to evacuate in May 2024, then reportedly massacred at least 50 civilians; survivors were barred from returning.
- Myanmar military razed Pa Lin Pyin village in June 2024, displaced its inhabitants, and erected new military outposts and fortifications on the cleared site.
- Myanmar military built a network of trenches, fences, roads and mine‑laden defenses around Sittwe’s western, northern and eastern fringes, and bolstered naval patrols; satellite images show the only remaining bright night‑time light at the Regional Operations Command.
- Residents of Sittwe—about 250,000 people, including Rohingya—face severe shortages, soaring food prices, scarce electricity and reliance on charcoal or bartering, as many were forced into the city’s monasteries or to flee to Arakan‑controlled areas.
Why it matters: The junta’s fortifications secure its last stronghold in Rakhine, but the forced displacement of at least 20 villages and the blockade that left 250,000 residents without electricity, banking and affordable food deepen a humanitarian crisis, eroding any prospect of a negotiated ceasefire.
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