by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw, Arakan | August 2, 2026
Residents of Thu U Hla Village in northern Maungdaw Township say the Arakan Army has begun cutting down trees and bamboo owned by Rohingya families to build a new military base on land they claim belongs to Rohingya villagers.
According to local residents, preparations for the base began several days ago. Villagers said AA members had asked the community to provide building materials and had taken timber and bamboo from private land without the owners’ permission.
Residents also said all bamboo belonging to the village mosque had already been cut down.
Several ethnic Rakhine workers were reportedly brought from nearby areas to assist with construction. They are currently staying at the village school while preparations for the new camp continue, according to villagers.
Rohingya residents said the trees and bamboo being cut had been planted and maintained by families over many years. Many said they were too afraid to object because AA members were armed and villagers feared being beaten or otherwise punished if they spoke out.
“We planted these trees with our own hands for many years, but now they are cutting everything down without asking us. If we say anything, we are afraid we will be beaten,” one Rohingya villager told Rohingya Khobor.
Another resident said the community felt powerless as land, trees and religious property were being taken.
“Our land, our trees, and even the bamboo from our mosque are being taken. We have no way to protect what belongs to us. We can only watch in silence,” the resident said.
A third villager described a growing sense of fear and confinement under current conditions.
“We survived one kind of oppression, but now we feel trapped again. We cannot move freely, we cannot speak freely, and now we are losing our land and property as well,” the villager said.
Local residents said the reported seizure of land and property, combined with movement restrictions and fear of retaliation, has deepened anxiety among Rohingya families about their future and safety in northern Maungdaw.
The allegations could not be independently verified. Rohingya Khobor was not able to confirm whether the land has been formally confiscated, whether any compensation has been offered, or whether AA authorities have issued any official order regarding the construction.
The reported incident adds to wider concerns among Rohingya communities in northern Arakan about land control, property rights, forced contributions and restrictions on daily life under changing armed authority in the region.
