By: Camp Correspondent
February 12, 2025
In the aftermath of the brutal events of 2024, reports now indicate that the Arakan Army (AA) is targeting and seizing well-built houses owned by Rohingya families in both Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Local sources reveal that AA forces have been affixing red signboards, inscribed in the Rakhine language with the message “Prohibited Areas,” on these properties, effectively taking control of them.
A source close to Military Region (2) Alpha claims that AA officials have officially confiscated these houses on allegations of alleged links to terrorist groups. However, locals vehemently reject these claims.
“The houses being seized have nothing to do with terrorism. AA is targeting large, well-built houses owned by Rohingya businesspeople and affluent families,” explained a resident from Maungdaw.
Many of these homeowners had fled the area due to the ongoing conflict, yet their properties remain vulnerable to AA’s takeover.
In Shwe Zar village of Maungdaw Township, over 50 such houses have been marked with the red signboards. Despite some of these homes still being occupied, residents report that they have been given a strict deadline to vacate by 6 PM on the day of the incident.
“AA has told people they must leave their homes by this evening. If they don’t, force will be used to remove them,” stated one local resident, reflecting the growing atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
These actions come on the heels of a devastating period in 2024, when escalating violence led to the displacement of thousands of Rohingya. Between March and August 2024, at least 2,500 Rohingya were killed and around 40,000 forced to flee their homes as villages were burned and basic rights were trampled upon. Reports of arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, and systematic blockades further compounded the crisis.
Observers note that AA’s current tactics—especially the use of signboards resembling those used by the military junta during previous property confiscations—mirror methods of past oppressive regimes. The Rohingya community in both Buthidaung and Maungdaw is increasingly alarmed, as affluent families and business owners are being forcibly displaced, leaving them with little hope for the future.
