| Akyab, is a city in Rakhine State, Myanmar located on an estuarial island. The island was created by the confluence of the Kaladan River, Myu River, and Lemyo River emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The 2006 population 181,000 and is Rakhine State's provincial capitol. The city is predominantly Buddhist with a large Islamic community of which there are tensions.
History
Originally a small fishing village, Sittwe became an important seat of maritime commerce, especially as a port for the export of rice after the British occupation of Arakan, now known as Rakhine State, following the First Anglo-Burmese War. The name Sittwe is the Burmese (Bama) version of Saite Twêy, which means ‘the place where the war meets’. When the Burmese King Bodaw Maung Wyne invaded the Rakhaing (Rakhine) kingdom in 1784, Rakhaing General (Saite-ké) Aung, the governor of Urittaung Province, encountered the 30,000-strong Burmese force with his 3,000 men at the mouth of Kissapanadi (Kalandan) River. In the decisive battle, fought both at land and sea, General Aung and his men were defeated, all being killed, opening both land and river access for the Burmese forces to the Rakhaing Capital Mrauk-U. The place where the battle occurred came to be called Saite Twêy, by the Rakhaing (Rakhine or Arakanese) and later Sittwe by the Burmese.
During the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1926) the British forces landed at Sittwe and stationed their forces by the ancient pagoda, Ahkyaib-daw, which is still standing at the head of the city. The British adopted the name Akyab for the place. . In 1826, the seat of government was transferred from the old Arakan capital of Myohaung to Sittwe on the seacoast. During the first 40 years of British rule it increased from a village to a town of 15,536 inhabitants, and by 1901 it was the third port of Burma with a population of 31,687. During colonial times, Sittwe had a bad reputation for malaria and cholera, although historical records indicate that it was no better or worse than many other locations along the India coast.
Ahkyaib-daw, is one of the most sacred Buddhist pagodas, believed to have built in the days of Emperor Asoka (r. 269-232 BCE). The pagoda Ahdyaid-daw, meaning maxillary bone, is believed to be built on a foundation encasing a piece of Buddha’s maxillary bone hence its name.
The city is home to the Sittway University. The Scottish author Hector Hugh Munro (Saki) was born in Sittwe in 1870.
In February 2007, India announced a plan to develop the port, which would enable ocean access from Indian Northeastern states like Mizoram, via the Kaladan River. Sittwe's citizenry, especially Buddhist monks, have participated in the 2007 Burmese anti-government protests
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