"U Pe Than, MP for Myebon township, said the local leaders quit last week after police charged three of their colleagues under the anti-terrorism law with aiding AA fighters. "They resigned out of concern that they could be arrested too," he said. The three village administrators charged in a Myebon court in early June were identified as U Maung Zaw of Ange Thit village, U Kyaw Myint of Ywar Thit Kay village, and U Aung Than of Myauk Kyein village. They face up to seven years in prison if found guilty. Fighting between the Tatmadaw (military) and AA erupted in November 2018, when the ethnic armed group tried to establish a base in Mrauk-U township. The fighting grew throughout 2019, and the AA has killed and captured soldiers and police at remote government outposts in several attacks. Paletwa township in nearby Chin State was also the scene of intense fighting, which cut all transportation routes to the township for four months, sparking a severe food shortage. The government and United Nations’ World Food Programme finally succeeded in delivering food to Paletwa in April and early May. The fighting has forced more than 140,000 people to flee their homes in Rakhine and Chin. U Tin Myint, deputy minister of the Union Government Office, said the government has warned village administrators not to aid the AA, which it declared a terrorist group on March 23. "Police are now charging village administrators under the anti-terrorism law with supporting a terrorist group," he said. "If the police suspect us of supporting the AA, we will be arrested," a village administrator, who refused to be named for safety reasons, said on June 16. “So we are resigning." Thazin, a Rakhine-based aid group, said the government has prosecuted about 700 civilians, including village administrators, under the anti-terrorism law..."