Myanmar junta soldiers and police stationed in Mrauk-U Township have confessed to their direct involvement in the execution of seven Rakhine civilians, including a former journalist and a popular rapper, according to a video released by the Arakan Army (AA).
The detainees, who are now in AA custody, disclosed that the seven civilians were initially held at the Mrauk-U police station before being transported to the headquarters of Light Infantry Battalion 378 in late December. Despite the AA seizing control of the police station on December 24, the detainees, along with their captors, were transferred to the infantry camp.
Major Thein Htike Soe, a company commander from Battalion 378, confessed in the video that he ordered Lance Corporal Than Aung and Captain Arkar Myint to carry out the executions. The victims included well-known figures such as rapper and social influencer Phoe La Pyae and former journalist Phoe Thiha, also known as Myat Thu Tun.
The major did not provide a motive for the killings but stated in the video that he and District Police Chief Khin Maung Soe falsely reported to the divisional commander Min Min Tun that the detainees had died from shrapnel in a bomb blast.
Deputy Police Chief Major Khin Maung Soe and army Captain Arkar Myint corroborated Major Thein Htike Soe's confession, with Captain Arkar Myint expressing remorse and apologizing to the families and the broader community for his involvement. He mentioned that he had agreed to the executions taking place in a bomb shelter under the clinic inside the base and instructed the bodies to be buried.
The AA reported on February 11 the discovery of bodies in a bomb shelter under the clinic inside Battalion 378 in Mrauk-U Township, revealing gunshot wounds and signs of torture.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the international community to intervene and halt junta-led massacres, emphasizing the ongoing climate of terror imposed by the Myanmar military junta on media professionals. RSF's Cédric Alviani urged the regime to cease its campaign of terror against the media and demanded the release of the 62 journalists and press freedom defenders currently detained in the country.
The latest confession further underscores the grave human rights abuses and atrocities being committed amid the ongoing conflict in Rakhine State, with civilians enduring the brunt of junta airstrikes, shelling, and naval attacks since the AA's initial attack on November 13.