Military Council soldiers and police officers detained 73 Rohingya people in Ayeyarwady Region in the second week of September, according to locals.

31 Rohingya (19 men and 12 women)  were arrested in Ngwenyochaung Village, Shwe Thaung Yan Township on 18 September. 

Another 42 (26 men and 16 women) were arrested in Ngarmyinchaung Village, Myaung Mya Township on 19 September, according to a local source.

He said: “The junta soldiers found 42 Rohingya in a building in Ngarmyinchaung Village. 31 Rohingya were arrested as they were launching a boat on the Ngwenyochaung River in Shwe Thaung Yan Township. Now they are being held at the local police stations.”

He also said that all of the arrested Rohingya had been given COVID-19 tests and three of them tested positive for Covid, a man and two women, who had all been arrested in Ngarmyinchaung Village.

At present all of the arrested Rohingya are being held in quarantine and the junta have not yet said what they will be charged with, according to another local.

According to locals, junta troops often arrest Rohingya who come by river into Ayeyarwady Region from cities in Rakhine State such as Kyauktaw, Buthidaung, Sittwe, Rathedaung and Maungdaw.