A party representing the Dainet ethnic people in Rakhine State denied accusation by the State Counsellor Office that five Dainat people in Maungtaw has tried to snatch a gun from a police outpost. The Chair of the Dainet Ethnic Progressive Party, U Aung Kyaw Zaw, said, “the news mentioned that five Dainet people tried to snatch a gun. But our investigation found out that they were not Dainet people. If they were Dainet people, they could not lie as we are very few in numbers so every Dainet people knows each other”. “The news said three Dinet people from Myoma ward were involved in snatching of the gun, but no Dinet live in Myoma ward. So it is nothing to do with our people,” he said. The news release from the State Counsellor Office issued on 11 and 12 March said the incident took place when the police tried to search a group of five people who are assume to be Dainet people. They were travelling on motorbike carrying beer cans and electronic circuits and remote control in the bags. When they were asked to follow to the police station, they started to attack the police and looted three guns. Two guns were taken back by police but they took one gun with them and fled to Bangladesh. The Dainet Ethnic Progress Party said in the statement issued on 15 March said the announcement from the State Counsellor Office could harm national unity. The statement said the State Counsellor office news release implies that the whole Dainet people were involved in the criminal act, any individual could involve in criminal activities. It said the State Counsellor Office has released the news in rush which cause defame to Dainet people. Also, it could create misunderstanding and affect unity among the ethnic people. The statement asked the State Counsellor Office to do correction of its news release. Reference: DVB-15 March 2017, State Counsellor Office Information Committee’s Facebook