by Hafizur Rahman
Fear is spreading rapidly among Rohingya communities in Buthidaung town, where residents say the Arakan Army has ordered households to hand over men and women for military service.
According to local sources, AA leaders held meetings in several wards and nearby villages, summoning one person from each Rohingya household. During the meetings, residents said the AA demanded that every ward and village provide 50 people, including 25 men and 25 women, to join its forces.
Threats of violence and arrest
Residents who attended the meetings said the message was delivered through threats. “They told us that if we do not send people willingly, they will come house to house like they did in Maungdaw,” said a Rohingya man from Buthidaung. “They said roads would be blocked and anyone found would be arrested.”
According to residents, the order applies to both men and women. Families without a man or woman to send were reportedly told they must pay 1 million kyats instead.
AA representatives also allegedly said that anyone who wished to remain in Rakhine State must serve in their military, while those who refused should leave for Bangladesh.
“A leader said, ‘The way out is open, but the way back will be closed forever,’” said a Rohingya woman who attended one of the meetings. “They were not asking. They were threatening us.”
Deadline issued
On 27 January, another meeting was reportedly held in Ward No. 5 of Buthidaung, attended by multiple armed groups linked to the AA. Residents said they were told the required number of people must be handed over by the following day.
“If the numbers are not given, arrests will start immediately,” said a young Rohingya resident. “Once someone from a family is taken, the rest of the family will be forced to give names. How can we sleep knowing this?”
Families face impossible choices
Community members believe the forced recruitment is pushing families toward an impossible choice: send loved ones to military service or flee their homes.
Some residents said the practice appears aimed at weakening Rohingya families by taking young and able members away. Others believe the pressure is intended to drive Rohingya communities out of Arakan entirely.
“Slowly, they are emptying our land of Rohingya,” said an elderly resident. “First fear, then force, then flight. This is how it happens.”
Growing danger amid international focus elsewhere
As international attention remains focused on genocide hearings at the International Court of Justice, Rohingya residents said daily life inside Rakhine State is becoming increasingly dangerous.
Many families in Buthidaung are now quietly preparing to flee, uncertain whether remaining even one more day could cost them their freedom or their lives.
As of the latest update, the Arakan Army has not publicly responded to the allegations, and independent verification remains difficult due to restricted access to the area.
