By: Camp Correspondent
February 2025
The Arakan Army (AA) has been forcing Rohingya families to leave their homes in Maungdaw and Buthidaung, posting notices that read “No One Can Stay Here.” According to multiple accounts from affected community members, AA soldiers have been seizing properties, detaining homeowners, and carrying out targeted abuses. Many Rohingya now say they are fleeing in fear, asserting that AA’s actions are even more harmful than those of the military junta.
Forced Evictions in Maungdaw
On February 10, AA soldiers reportedly took control of 50 apartment buildings in Shwe Zar village, Maungdaw Township. Doors were locked and posters were placed on the buildings stating, “No one can stay here.” In one instance, families who had recently returned to 20 apartments were given a strict deadline: they were ordered to leave by 6 PM on the same day and to relocate to nearby homes.
One displaced resident, speaking anonymously for security reasons, lamented,
“We have already suffered so much, and now we are being driven out of our homes again. Where are we supposed to go?”
An AA official was cited as explaining that these evictions were carried out on direct orders from the AA/ULA central command, leaving no exceptions for Rohingya families.
AA Seizing Rohingya Homes in Buthidaung
Similar actions have been reported in Buthidaung, where AA soldiers have affixed “No one can stay here” posters on Rohingya homes and actively searched for homeowners to detain. One source stated:
“After AA took control of Buthidaung, other ethnic groups were allowed to return home, but Rohingya refugees were not. Now, AA is accusing them—without proof—of collaborating with the Myanmar military or armed Rohingya groups. Using these false claims, AA is seizing Rohingya houses and shops.”
Some refugees are fleeing through the Mayu Mountains in hopes of reaching safer areas in Maungdaw Township. Others report that along Ngumaw Road, AA’s coastal security forces are demanding a payment of 2 million kyats per person before allowing them to cross into Bangladesh.
“One group of AA soldiers is arresting Rohingya while another is taking large amounts of money and forcing them out of the country. AA/ULA is seizing Rohingya properties, making money, and pushing them out of Rakhine,” the source added.
Community Speaks Out: ‘AA is Worse Than the Junta’
Rohingya community members have voiced strong criticism against the AA, with one elder in Buthidaung stating:
“We expected peace, but instead, we are facing more violence, killings, detentions, and rapes. AA is doing things even worse than the military used to do. They are targeting us, forcing us out, and leaving us with nothing.”
Another community member commented,
“AA is using us as pawns in their political games. We have no protection, no justice, and nowhere to turn.”
A statement from the Rohingya community read:
“AA’s intentional actions against us go beyond political strategy. This is inhumane. We have suffered for decades—displaced, abused, and terrorized. Now, AA is doing the same. We need urgent international intervention before it is too late.”
Urgent Call for International Action
Community leaders and human rights advocates are calling for immediate international action. One local activist declared,
“The world must act before more lives are lost. The Rohingya cannot continue to suffer like this. The AA must be pressured to stop these human rights abuses.”
With many Rohingya refugees already struggling in makeshift camps—lacking sufficient food, shelter, or medical care—experts warn that AA’s actions are creating another humanitarian disaster in the region. Political analysts have remarked,
“They removed one dictatorship only to replace it with another.”
The international community is urged to intervene immediately to protect the Rohingya people from further harm and to help restore their right to safe, dignified housing in Rakhine.
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