by Hafizur Rahman
Buthidaung, Rakhine State | May 3, 2026
Seven Rohingya men were detained by the Arakan Army on April 30 in Lea Wet Daung Pyin Shay village in Buthidaung Township, according to local sources, with families later asked to pay for their release.
The group included two men originally from Kyaw Hla Pyin village and five others from Dun Chaung village who had been living in the area after displacement caused by ongoing conflict.
The two from Kyaw Hla Pyin were identified as Mohammed Hares, 17, son of Mohammed Miya, and Jani Alom, 20, son of Nur Hakim.
Residents said Arakan Army members entered the village and took the seven men without providing any explanation. Their whereabouts were initially unknown.
On May 2, local sources said Arakan Army members returned to the village with the village chairman and others and visited the families of those detained. During these visits, they demanded 1 million Myanmar kyat per person in exchange for release.
“The amount they are asking is too high. People here are already struggling to survive,” one resident told Rohingya Khobor.
Family members said they remain in fear and uncertainty, with no clear information about the condition of those detained or whether they will be released.
Incidents involving detention followed by payment demands have been increasingly reported in parts of Buthidaung, reflecting growing concerns over coercive practices affecting Rohingya communities in conflict-affected areas.
