By: Camp Correspondent
February 6, 2025
The Arakan Army (AA/ULA) reportedly held a meeting with Rohingya business representatives in Buthidaung Township on February 5, 2025, during which officials called on community members to contribute financially for local infrastructure repairs. The meeting focused on raising funds to repair the Buthidaung–Nyaung Chaung road and other key structures. According to local sources, AA officials requested that each attendee donate at least 500,000 MMK.
An AA commander at the meeting was reported to have stated,
“We need support from Muslims to improve road connections. If you are not connected with any armed group other than AA, you can live peacefully. Report any ARSA activities to us immediately.”
This financial demand comes against a backdrop of other measures imposed by the AA in the region. On January 30, 2025, AA authorities ordered the remaining Rohingya families in Palei Daung village, in northern Buthidaung Township, to leave their homes within a week. This directive followed eight months of AA control in the area during which Rohingya movement and access to essential services had been significantly restricted.
In addition, on January 18, 2025, reports indicate that AA soldiers confiscated mobile phones and communication devices from local Rohingya residents and enforced a ban on the use of Bangladeshi SIM cards. Although most devices were returned after inspection on the morning of February 5, an AA official later announced that “Anyone using mobile phones and Bangladeshi SIM cards must pay a monthly tax to AA.”
Human rights advocates and community representatives have raised serious concerns about these measures. While improved roads and bridges are important for local development, compelling an already marginalized community—one that has long faced discrimination, displacement, and economic hardship—to finance such projects under duress is widely seen as problematic. Furthermore, the restrictions on mobile phone usage and the imposition of a communications tax have been criticized for further limiting the Rohingya’s access to information and their ability to communicate with the outside world.
Critics argue that if the AA is committed to fostering peace and cooperation, discussions regarding community support and development should be conducted transparently and on a voluntary basis rather than through enforced financial demands and restrictions on basic rights. These recent actions contribute to a growing sense of mistrust and underscore the ongoing challenges faced by the Rohingya community under armed control.
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