By: Camp Correspondent
Buthidaung, 15 June 2025
Even after the guns have fallen silent, Rohingya families from villages like Htan Shaw Kan and Ah Twin Hnget Thay say they are still not being allowed to return home. Instead, the Arakan Army (AA)—which now controls much of Buthidaung Township—is reportedly forcing them to relocate to a designated area in Thin Daung village.
There, each family has been assigned just 15 square meters of land—barely enough to stand, let alone live in.
“There’s no fighting anymore, but we’re still not free,” said a displaced man now stuck in limbo. “We just want to return to our homes and live in peace.”
During the height of the recent conflict, entire Rohingya neighborhoods and farmlands were razed, driving thousands to flee. Many waited patiently, hoping that with the end of violence, they could begin to rebuild. But weeks have passed, and the blockade remains.
“Our houses are gone, our land is empty, and we have nothing left,” shared another villager. “But it was still ours. Now they say we can’t even go back to it.”
For these families, the loss is more than physical. It’s the erasure of roots, of belonging, and of the chance to start again.
Community members are pleading with the AA and other authorities to lift the restrictions and let them return to the lands they once called home—with safety, dignity, and the right to rebuild.
“We don’t want conflict,” said a mother of four. “We just want to go home. That’s all.”
