Nearly 200 people were arrested and some 300 motorbikes were confiscated by junta troops at a set of traffic lights in Dawei Township at about 3am on the morning of 16 March, according to local residents.

Local residents said that most of the detained were vendors selling at a market near Dawei Strand.

“Those who were arrested were traders and shoppers going to the Strand Market. Many of them were arrested when they came up from the village. The soldiers told them that they would only get their motorcycles back if they could pay 200,000 Kyats per motorcycle.”

Some of the arrested were released after their family members paid the ransoms, according to local residents.