Residents of Myanmar’s Arakan State are increasingly expressing anger over the Arakan Army’s (AA) detention of traders and young people at checkpoints in Paletwa Township, Chin State, amid tightening restrictions on travel outside the region.

According to multiple local accounts, even individuals who fully comply with AA-imposed requirements, including obtaining four recommendation letters from relevant administrative bodies, are being stopped, detained, and in some cases reportedly taken for military training.

According to BNI, the situation has worsened in recent weeks, with traders and transport operators now avoiding key routes due to fear of arrest. This has disrupted long-standing trade links with India, which many residents rely on for essential goods after Myanmar’s military blocked supply routes into Arakan State in November 2023.

Families say they are left in the dark after relatives are detained. One 29-year-old trader from Kyauktaw Township was arrested in late April while traveling to India despite meeting all travel conditions. His whereabouts remain unknown.

The crackdown follows the AA’s introduction of the National Defense Emergency Provision (NDEP) in May 2025, which effectively bans people aged 18 to 45 from leaving Arakan State and mandates military service. While exemptions exist for serious medical cases, residents say enforcement has been arbitrary and unfair.

Local sources indicate that younger individuals, particularly those between 18 and 35 are being disproportionately targeted, raising fears of forced recruitment. Although some older detainees and those with health issues have been released, many others remain unaccounted for.

Critics argue that the AA’s actions are undermining livelihoods and worsening economic hardship in an already fragile region. “If people aren’t allowed to travel, issuing recommendation letters is meaningless,” said a resident from Mrauk-U, accusing the group of ignoring public concerns.

With trade routes disrupted and uncertainty growing, residents warn that shortages and rising prices are inevitable if the detentions continue.

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