15 December 2025 – Families in Paletwa township remain deeply alarmed as two female students detained by the Arakan Army (AA) have not been heard from for more than a week.
According to local sources, AA troops detained the two girls on 1 December at their checkpoint in Shin Let Wa village, located along the India–Myanmar border in Paletwa township.
The girls were reportedly travelling by motorboat towards Yangon to continue their studies when they were taken away for “inspection.”
“She was taken by the AA at the Shin Let Wa gate for questioning. They have kept her since then and still haven’t released her. We have no contact with her at all,” a family member of one of the girls told Khumiland News.
The detainees have been identified as 17-year-old Ms. Awi Nan Wai from Upper Nga Shar village and 18-year-old Ms. Awi Hwei Ri from Upper Hno Bu village
A community leader confirmed the AA’s arrest, mentioning that the detention of other Chin youths for military training was not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of forced recruitment.
Relatives report that no information has been provided regarding the reason for their detention or their current whereabouts.
A family member said the parents have been searching in both Shin Let Wa village and Paletwa town, but they have not received any updates on the condition of the girls or where AA is holding them.
More than a week after the incident, their families say they remain without any confirmed information from AA, and concerns continue to grow. – Reporting by Ben
