Military Spokesperson Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun denied claims by the the Buthidaung Township Saga Maha Nayaka Committee that troops have been positioned in the ancient pagoda compound in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State.

The Chairman of Buthidaung Township Saga Maha Nayaka Committee sent a letter to the Rakhine State Chief Minister on October 1st.

The letter mentioned that the government troops stationed in the ancient pagoda compound namely the Thone Sat Ta Bone and their artillery shells had damaged Buddha images and religious buildings. 

It requested the military to move troops from the ancient pagoda compound.

“There were no military troops on the platform of ancient Thone Sat Ta Bone Pagoda. But the Arakan Army (AA) came onto the Thone Sat Ta Bone Pagoda in March and made bunkers in the pagoda compound. That’s why there were clashes. There were no more fighting there later,” said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun.

He also said that there were no government troops ever in pagoda compound in the past. No troops were allowed station on the platform of pagoda.Only the AA did so, building bunkers and ensuing battles with the AA had damaged religious buildings. In the past, the government troops and regiments had to renovate the Thone Sat Ta Bone pagoda from such damages.

The clashes between government’s troops and AA occur in Buthidaung, Ponagyun, Kyauktaw, Yathedaung, Minbyar and Mrauk-U Townships, Rakhine State this year and it left many displaced villagers