A monk in Pauk Taw Township accused of sexually abusing a minor has been apprehended and charged following internal procedures by the local Sangha Nayaka Committee and subsequent action by the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) under the Arakan Army’s administrative control, according to DLEPS officials.
The incident reportedly occurred on July 28 in Hinkharaw Village, Pauk
Taw Township.
“There, children are being taught. One day, after a child finished studying and was returning home from school, she forgot her umbrella. When the child went back to the monastery to retrieve it, this incident happened. The perpetrator was a Monk, who had fled from Sittwe as a war refugee and was staying there. He forcibly dragged the child and committed sexual abuse. The child returned home crying, prompting her family to question her, and they discovered what had happened. A formal complaint was then filed. The perpetrator has now been arrested in accordance with procedure,” a DLEPS official stated.
The victim, a 9-year-old, grade-4 student from Hinkharaw Village, was sexually assaulted by a 69-year-old monk, Sandima (Sein Hla Htun), a conflict-displaced person from Sittwe. The case has been opened under Case No. (Pa) 17/2025, in accordance with Article 376.
A serious incident involving the rape and murder of a child has been reported in Phar Pya Village, located in Minbya Township, Rakhine State, an area under the control of the Arakan Army (AA). According to a statement released by the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) under the AA’s administrative structure, individuals suspected of involvement in the incident have been arrested, and legal proceedings are currently underway.
Similarly, on June 20, 2024, in Loon Lone Pyit Village, Myebon Township, there was an attempt to sexual assault a woman over the age of 20. According to a statement by the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) under the Arakan Army (AA), the suspect involved in the attempted assault has been arrested and is currently under investigation.
Despite recent arrests in connection with sexual violence cases reported in areas under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), concerns have been raised over the lack of clear and effective prosecution or sentencing of the suspects by AA authorities. Survivors and affected families are urging the Arakan Army to ensure timely, transparent, and effective judicial processes in handling these cases.
Meanwhile, women’s organizations in Rakhine State have called on the Arakan Army to impose the maximum penalties – including death punishment – on those found guilty of committing sexual violence, stressing the need for strong deterrents and accountability in such serious offenses.
Reporting by Hein Hset
