Myanmar’s army is reportedly emptying villages in a western state to boost defenses against rebels

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Reports from Myanmar say its military has been emptying villages on the outskirts of the capital of the western state of Rakhine as part of an evident effort to defend against expected attacks by a powerful rebel group that has captured most of the surrounding area. The action to defend the state capital, Sittwe, came a week after the Arakan Army, the ethnic armed organization of the state’s Buddhist Rakhine minority, vowed to capture the army outposts in the city, the military’s last major stronghold in the state. Rakhine is the current hotspot for fighting in Myanmar’s nationwide civil war.