U Shwe Maung has been a rare advocate for the Rohingya in the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party since being elected to the lower house seat of Buthidaung in northern Rakhine State in 2010. Earlier this month, he announced his intention to cut ties with the USDP and contest the November 8 election as an independent.
Cases of sexual assault, some involving murder, have increased in Rakhine State since the 2021 military coup, while the Arakan Army judicial system’s ability to deal with criminal cases has been hampered by the chaos caused by fighting with the regime.
BY Frontier
