By: Camp Correspondent
Buthidaung, February 17, 2025
The Arakan Army (AA)/United League of Arakan (ULA) has ordered all Rohingya residents of Panzi Village, located in the Bardaga village tract of northern Buthidaung, to leave their homes by February 28, 2025. The order was issued on February 16 when AA troops gathered villagers at the local school for a meeting.
According to residents, around 50 AA soldiers arrived early in the morning and instructed the community to sever all ties with other armed groups. Villagers were then compelled to participate in a protest against the Myanmar military and Rohingya armed groups, with AA troops filming videos and taking photographs of the demonstration. During the protest, residents were told that these groups were “unwanted” in the region.
Later that day, village leaders were summoned for another meeting, where AA officials reiterated that every Rohingya resident must leave Panzi Village before the end of February. They warned that anyone remaining after the deadline would face serious consequences.
“We are being forced to leave everything behind—our homes, our memories, our ancestors’ land. We have nowhere to go, yet we are given no choice,” said one Rohingya resident, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
AA has instructed the villagers to relocate temporarily to farmlands west of Panzi Market, where some shelter has been promised. However, the long-term relocation plan remains unclear, leaving families deeply uncertain about their future.
Another villager expressed profound frustration: “We survived the 2017 genocide by the Myanmar military and held onto our village despite everything. Now, under AA control, we are being expelled again. Why must we always be the ones to suffer?”
This forced eviction is part of a broader pattern of displacement and insecurity facing Rohingya civilians in northern Rakhine State, intensifying fears over their already vulnerable situation amid ongoing conflict.
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