MRAUK-U, Myanmar — A 56-year-old schoolteacher has been detained in Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, following allegations of sexual misconduct and attempted rape involving multiple primary school students.
The suspect, identified as U Maung Nge (also known as Maung Tin Nu), was a teacher at the Tezararma Monastic School in Sin Cha Seik ward. He was arrested on March 11, 2026, by the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Safety (DLEPS) of the Arakan Army (AA).
The investigation was triggered by an incident on February 23, when an eight-year-old student informed her mother of the teacher’s inappropriate behavior. Subsequent inquiries revealed a disturbing pattern; authorities allege the suspect had previously targeted three other young girls, aged between six and eight, during the course of 2025.
“A school should be the safest place for children,” a mother in Mrauk-U told reporters. “To have a teacher commit such acts is revolting. We want to see the strongest possible legal action taken against him.”
Following a formal complaint by the victims’ parents on March 6, the DLEPS officially opened a case under Section 376/511 of the Penal Code (Attempted Rape). The suspect is currently undergoing legal proceedings in an AA-administered court.
The arrest in Mrauk-U follows another horrific incident on March 16 in Maungdaw Township, where a 16-year-old was detained for the alleged rape and murder of a three-year-old girl.
Human rights activists in the region have expressed deep concern over the apparent spike in crimes against minors. “The frequency of these reports is alarming,” one activist said. “Authorities must ensure that justice is served swiftly to act as a deterrent, and the community must remain vigilant in protecting our children.”
The Arakan Army, which has established its own administrative and judicial systems across much of Rakhine State, maintains strict penalties for crimes against children. Under the group’s current legal framework, individuals convicted of raping a child under the age of 12 can face a minimum of 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.
As the AA continues to consolidate its governance in the region, the handling of high-profile criminal cases like this one is being closely watched as a test of its ability to provide security and uphold the rule of law in territory seized from the sham government’s military.
