By: Camp Correspondent
April 30, 2025
Under the expanding control of the United League of Arakan (ULA) and its armed wing, the Arakan Army (AA), Rohingya civilians across Buthidaung and Maungdaw are facing growing repression. Reports of extortionate travel permits, forced military labor, and disappearances of conscripted youth point to a deeply alarming deterioration in the human rights situation for Rohingya communities in northern Arakan.
Up to 1 Million Kyats Demanded for Travel Permits in Buthidaung
In ULA/AA-controlled zones of Buthidaung Township, Rohingya residents are being forced to pay exorbitant fees to obtain travel permission letters—even for short, everyday movements such as visiting farmland or neighboring villages. The permit system applies only to Rohingya, while ethnic Rakhine villagers reportedly move freely.
“I had to pay 2,000 Kyats just to walk to my farmland,” said a 45-year-old farmer from northern Buthidaung. “Without the paper, they wouldn’t let me pass, even though it’s a short walk.”
- Within-village movement: Requires a letter from the deputy head, valid for 24 hours, costing 1,000–2,000 Kyats.
- Between nearby villages: Requires a letter from the village head, valid for 3 days, costing 3,000–5,000 Kyats.
- Across tracts: Requires area-level permission, costing up to 300,000 Kyats for one week.
- Outside township: Requires tax officer approval and up to 1 million Kyats.
Even Muslim community members working with the ULA/AA must follow the same procedure.
This system has restricted access to healthcare, education, and livelihoods, leaving vulnerable families even more desperate.
Arakan Army Forces Captured Junta Soldiers into Hard Labor
Since December 2024, the AA has reportedly been using captured Myanmar junta soldiers as forced laborers in Maungdaw Township. Nearly 1,000 prisoners are said to be working in locations such as Kyain Chaung, Kyee Kan Pyin, Zone 10, and 4-Mile camp.
“They are tied with metal wires, working under the burning sun. They get one meal a day, some cigarettes, and betel nuts,” said an eyewitness.
Tasks include stone breaking in the May Yu mountains, road repairs, farming, and military construction. Observers note that this treatment of prisoners violates international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention, and raises serious ethical concerns about the AA’s conduct.
Two Rohingya Youths Go Missing After Joining AA in Thin Taung
In Buthidaung’s Thin Taung village, two young Rohingya men who had reportedly joined the AA six to seven months ago have now been missing for over a month. Their families, once in regular contact with them, have had no communication for weeks, prompting fear and desperation.
“Our sons used to visit. Now we’ve heard nothing,” said one parent. “The AA keeps saying they’re fine, but we’re not allowed to see them. If they’re really okay, why can’t we speak to them?”
Locals believe the youth may have been sent to frontlines or other dangerous operations. Many villages are now being pressured to contribute manpower to the AA, often with little choice or protection.
“They tell us to join to defend the region,” said one villager. “But what they do is take our boys, and we don’t know where they end up.”
Mounting Fears, No Protection
The combination of financial exploitation, coercion, forced disappearances, and unlawful labor practices is fueling widespread fear among Rohingya civilians. While the AA claims to be resisting the junta regime, many Rohingya say they are being trapped between two armed forces, both of whom restrict their freedom and endanger their lives.
As international attention grows on Arakan’s battlefield dynamics, Rohingya communities continue to suffer silently, without protection, rights, or recognition.
