By: Camp Correspondent
April 24, 2025 | Northern Maungdaw, Arakan (Rakhine State)
Dozens of Rohingya families displaced from Kanyin Tan and Maung Ni wards in Maungdaw township are still waiting for permission to return to their homes, despite repeated promises made by the Arakan Army (AA).
On the morning of April 22, many displaced residents gathered at the Hla Pho Khaung rescue camp, where AA officers informed them that they would soon be allowed to return. Yet by the end of the day, no official orders were issued, and families were left in confusion and frustration.
“We Are Waiting With Packed Bags, But No One Calls”
“We were hopeful when they said we could go home, but now we wait with no answer,” said a woman from Maung Ni ward. “Our children keep asking, ‘When can we go back to our village?’ We have no reply.”
Several community members approached local AA officers for updates. A commander replied that they were awaiting approval from higher authorities and that the return process was still “under discussion.”
Accusations Used to Justify Delay
According to local reports, AA soldiers have cited concerns that many residents of Kanyin Tan and Maung Ni had previously cooperated with Myanmar military authorities, and therefore, a “full investigation” was required before any return could be approved.
“They are treating us like suspects, not civilians,” said a Rohingya father from Kanyin Tan. “We fled to save our lives. Now they say we must wait to be investigated before we’re allowed back home.”
Such accusations, community members argue, are being used as a pretext to delay or block Rohingya return, particularly in areas with high numbers of past arrests and current detentions.
Arbitrary Arrests and Disappearances Continue
During recent weeks of intensified control in Maungdaw, a significant number of Rohingya men from Kanyin Tan and Maung Ni were detained by the AA. Witnesses say that AA fighters from the “4 Mile” area identified individuals, some allegedly based on past grievances or suspicion—often without evidence.
“They took my brother because someone pointed at him. No explanation, no return,” said a woman whose family is now in hiding. “We don’t know if he’s alive.”
To date, families of those arrested have received no updates, raising fears of abuse or forced disappearance.
A Community in Limbo
For many of the displaced families, the delay in returning home is not just administrative—it is a slow erosion of hope.
“We left everything behind. All we ask is to go back and rebuild. But even that is denied,” said a former resident of Maung Ni, now sheltering in a bamboo hut near Hla Pho Khaung.
Children remain out of school, elders are unable to access medicine, and homes remain either occupied, destroyed, or looted. The longer the return is delayed, the harder recovery becomes.
A Call for Transparency and Dignity
Rohingya leaders are calling on the AA’s political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), to clarify the return process, ensure the safety of detainees, and uphold the right of displaced civilians to return to their homes without discrimination or collective punishment.
“If they speak of justice, let them show it. If they say we are allowed to return, then open the path,” said one community representative.
