Arakan Army Blamed for Attack on Myanmar Border Police
By Min Aung Khine 15 June 2020
Sittwe, Rakhine State — Police officers were injured in a raid by the Arakan Army (AA) on Done Pike border guard outpost in Rakhine State’s Rathedaung Township, according to Myanmar’s military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun.
“The AA attacked the Done Pike border outpost at around 5.30 am this morning. They retreated after attacking for around 15 minutes. Some police officers were injured in the attack,” Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy on Saturday.
Myanmar’s military and the police chased after the attackers, he added.
A village administrator, who requested anonymity, told The Irrawaddy that he heard gunshots.
“We heard an exchange of fire from the outpost. I don’t know the details. I saw ambulances going to the outpost. Done Pike villagers have fled and I was not able to phone them,” said the administrator.
The Rathedaung Township outpost is overseen by Agnumaw police via the coastal road.
The AA raided the Thazin Myaing police outpost on May 29, killing four police officers and abducting six other officers and three civilians, including a child. It later released the three civilians.
On Jan. 4, 2019, the AA attacked four police outposts in Buthidaung Township. It attacked Yoe Tayoke police station in Ponnagyun Township on March 3, and a battalion near Koe Thaung temple in Mrauk-U on April 10, 2019, and a police outpost in Buthidaung Township on July 16.
In January, four border guards from the Thazin Myaing outpost were robbed of their December salaries on their return from Zedi Pyin police station in Rathedaung Township with their wages. Two of the four border guards went missing.
The AA said its attacks on the police were retaliation for their assistance to Myanmar’s military. According to the AA, the military has been using the outposts to shell rebel fighters.
As the government has declared the AA a terrorist organization, The Irrawaddy was not able to contact the armed group for a comment.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
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