By: Camp Correspondent
April 28, 2025 | Buthidaung, Arakan State
The Arakan Army (AA), which now controls most of Buthidaung Township in northern Arakan State, has locked Rohingya mosques, restricted religious activities, and reportedly begun forcing Rohingya women and girls into military training, local sources told Rohingya Khobor.
According to residents, during the fighting between the AA and Myanmar military forces in 2024, all mosques in Kin Taung village were destroyed by AA forces. After the conflict, villagers rebuilt small mosques to resume their religious practices. However, these newly built mosques have now been locked by the AA.
“The mosques we rebuilt have been locked, and we are forbidden to pray,” said a resident from Kin Taung, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Sources report that the AA has ordered the closure of all mosques rebuilt after the fighting and has threatened to demolish them. Villagers say that anyone attempting to gather for prayer or religious activities risks arrest and punishment.
In addition to restricting religious practices, the AA has reportedly barred Rohingya villagers from using local graveyards for burials. Farmlands and cemeteries located near a local pagoda in Kin Taung have been seized, further erasing Rohingya religious and cultural spaces.
Meanwhile, the AA has extended its repression by forcibly conscripting Rohingya women and girls into military training programs. Local women report being summoned to meetings where they were told that females between the ages of 18 and 35 must participate in mandatory military training or face severe consequences.
“At a meeting, they told us women must join military training. If we refuse, we will be punished,” said a young Rohingya woman from Buthidaung.
Additionally, over 700 Rohingya men, aged between 18 and 45, have already been forced into labor for the AA, working on the construction of roads, battalion camps, and military outposts, particularly around Young Chaung village.
The Rohingya community in Buthidaung continues to face mounting fear, oppression, and loss of fundamental rights under AA control. Community leaders are calling for urgent international attention to prevent further abuses.
