By Hafizur Rahman
Highway Closure and Travel Restrictions
The Arakan Army (AA) has indefinitely shut down the Buthidaung–Maungdaw highway from 13 August, citing the need to maintain border security and stability in the region.
A Rohingya resident from Ward 1 of Maungdaw reported being denied travel permission by the AA/ULA township administration for urgent matters in Buthidaung. Officials informed him that long-distance travel is suspended, allowing only same-day local trips with prior approval. Without such approval, no one will be permitted through checkpoints.
A Rakhine resident from Buthidaung confirmed being stopped at the Byuha checkpoint while attempting to travel to Maungdaw for essential food supplies. He was told that only vehicles carrying goods for the AA or coordinated with them could pass.
The AA stated that the closure aims to secure the border as threats from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) increase. Military operations are reportedly planned to remove ARSA from the area. An AA leader urged Muslims to reject all Muslim armed groups, warning that their activities hinder free movement and deepen divisions between communities. He added that while people from Rakhine are allowed to leave for abroad, entry from abroad into Rakhine will not be permitted.
Eviction and Detention of Rohingya Villagers
Two days before the highway closure, on 12 August, AA/ULA troops entered Du Young Pyin Gyi village in southern Maungdaw Township, ordering all residents, including elderly men, breastfeeding mothers, and children, to leave their homes.
Villagers were forced to stand in a paddy field under the sun for several hours while soldiers conducted house-to-house inspections. “We stood in the sun for hours with no water. Even the children were crying, but they didn’t care,” said a Rohingya man from the village.
Some residents were arrested under the pretext of “security checks” and reportedly beaten, while others were released. Many detainees described being insulted and pushed, even while holding children.
The eviction came shortly after a Rakhine man from Sha Ya Ten village was found dead on 10 August. The AA accused ARSA of the killing and has since conducted mass evictions and interrogations in the area. In the past week, AA troops also raided Myo Oo ward and Habi village, allegedly searching for ARSA positions, with residents reporting looting and the destruction of household structures.
