by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw, November 6, 2025 — The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) has reportedly ordered ethnic Mro villagers in northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, to leave their homes by November 15, citing “security concerns” and the alleged presence of the Rohingya armed group, ARSA.
Local residents said the order affects several villages, including Dun Yoe, Upper Yin Chaung, Lower Yin Chaung, Ban Taik, and nearby areas. The villagers have been instructed to relocate to Thit Ton Na Khow Son and Baung villages before the given deadline.
“They said we must move because of ARSA and for security reasons. Many Mro villages were told to move. We were given around 15 days to leave,” said a young Mro man from Maungdaw Township.
Villagers also reported that the AA has banned the sale of livestock — including cows, pigs, and chickens — to anyone other than the AA itself. The armed group is allegedly purchasing the animals at prices far below market value.
“They ordered us to move and not to sell our cows, pigs, and chickens to others. They said we must sell to them, but the price they give is very low, only about half the real price,” said another Mro villager.
The forced relocation order comes during the harvest season, when Mro farmers are collecting their hill paddy crops. Many families are reluctant to move, fearing that leaving now will destroy their main source of food and income.
“It is harvest time now. If we move, our crops will be lost. We don’t know how we will survive,” one farmer said.
Meanwhile, clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) have intensified in the Maungdaw region over the past month. Both Mro and Rohingya villagers are reportedly being pressured by the AA to join militia training programs under the pretext of “community defense.”
Locals fear that these forced relocations and restrictions will deepen the suffering of ethnic minorities already caught between warring groups in northern Rakhine State, where food shortages, displacement, and insecurity are steadily worsening.
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