Lay Waddy FM | August 19, 2026

Parents in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, are worried about the whereabouts of a 16-year-old student who remains unaccounted for after being arrested with a group of more than 20 students and young people in connection with alleged drug use.

The student, Maung Shwe Aye, also known as Tha Bu Shwe, was arrested along with the others on June 18. He is a student at Kyauktaw High School, according to his family.

Of the group, 19 students were released on August 11 after undergoing investigation. Most of those detained were reportedly publicly flogged before being released.

However, Maung Shwe Aye was not among those released, raising concerns among his family.

“My son was not released while the other students were. I want to know where he is. I want to know whether he is dead or missing,” said his father, Maung Aye Tun, from Pyidawtha Ward in Kyauktaw.

A family member said they learned from some of the students who were released that Maung Shwe Aye had been staying with them in the same dormitory.

“We learned from the children who were released that they had all been staying together in the same dormitory,” the family member said.

The family has been unable to contact Maung Shwe Aye since his arrest and remains concerned about his safety and whereabouts.

Drug-related arrests have reportedly increased in Kyauktaw and elsewhere in Rakhine State, with drug use said to be spreading among young people and students.

More than 70 people have reportedly been arrested in Kyauktaw town in connection with drugs. According to a statement issued by the Crime Department of the Arakkha government, those arrested included drug users and people involved in the sale of drugs.

More than 20 women were also among those arrested, according to the statement.