by Hafizur Rahman and Ro Maung Shwe
May 19, 2026
A new report by Human Rights Watch has accused the Arakan Army of carrying out a massacre against Rohingya civilians in Hoyyar Siri village in Buthidaung Township, northern Arakan State, during violence in May 2024, while survivors and rights groups say justice remains absent two years later.
The 56-page report, titled “Skeletons and Skulls Scattered Everywhere: Arakan Army Massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Hoyyar Siri, Myanmar,” alleges that at least 170 Rohingya civilians were killed or remain missing during attacks on May 2, 2024. According to the organization, the actual death toll is believed to be significantly higher and includes around 90 children.
Human Rights Watch stated that the attack occurred during fighting between the Myanmar Junta and the Arakan Army near Buthidaung Township. The report said many Rohingya villagers were attempting to flee the violence when Arakan Army fighters allegedly opened fire on civilians near roads and surrounding areas outside the village.
The organization said its investigation was based on interviews with survivors and witnesses, satellite imagery, photographs, forensic analysis, and verified videos collected from the area.
According to the report, skeletal remains and human skulls were later found scattered across roadsides, fields, and water-filled ditches around Hoyyar Siri village.
Survivors described scenes of panic as families tried to escape. Some villagers reportedly waved white flags while fleeing in an effort to show they were civilians, but gunfire allegedly continued.
One survivor said his wife and children were shot while trying to escape. Another woman told investigators that villagers had gathered near a mosque before fighters suddenly opened fire on the crowd.
A separate investigation by Fortify Rights also documented testimonies from survivors who alleged that Arakan Army fighters opened fire on large groups of Rohingya civilians attempting to flee the conflict zone.
In one testimony documented by Fortify Rights, a survivor identified as Rashid Ahmed said civilians became trapped between armed positions before hearing an order allegedly instructing fighters to “kill them all.” He said many civilians, including members of his own family, were shot moments later.
Human Rights Watch also reported that Hoyyar Siri village was later burned down. Satellite images and photographs reviewed by investigators reportedly showed destroyed homes and human remains scattered across different parts of the village.
Several survivors accused fighters of stealing money and jewelry from villagers. Former detainees also reported torture and abuse during detention, while some witnesses claimed Rohingya women and girls were abducted during the violence.
According to Human Rights Watch, surviving villagers were later moved to a nearby camp under restrictions. Rohingya who later fled to Bangladesh said they faced shortages of food and medicine, forced labor, and severe restrictions on movement.
The Arakan Army denied responsibility for the massacre and said its fighters targeted only military forces and armed groups.
Following publication of the report, the Arakan Rohingya National Council welcomed the findings and said the report confirmed long-standing allegations made by Rohingya survivors and activists regarding abuses against Rohingya civilians in Arakan State.
In a statement issued on May 19, ARNC said the Hoyyar Siri massacre was not an isolated incident but part of what it described as a broader campaign of persecution, forced displacement, violence, and terror against Rohingya communities.
The organization warned that continued international silence and inaction could lead to what it called the “final genocide” of the remaining Rohingya population in Arakan.
ARNC also expressed condolences to Rohingya civilians who were killed, disappeared, detained, tortured, forcibly recruited, displaced, or forced to flee during the conflict. The group claimed that many Rohingya communities across Arakan continue to face starvation, movement restrictions, siege conditions, and systematic violence.
The organization called on the United Nations, ASEAN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other international actors to take urgent action to protect Rohingya civilians.
ARNC demanded unrestricted humanitarian access, independent international investigations, accountability for perpetrators, and targeted sanctions against individuals credibly implicated in abuses against Rohingya civilians.
The group also stressed that conditions do not currently exist for the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to Arakan while violence and persecution continue.
Human Rights Watch similarly warned that conditions in Arakan State remain unsafe for Rohingya civilians and refugees hoping to return home in the future.
Meanwhile, a Rohingya man currently inside Arakan who said he directly witnessed the Hoyyar Siri massacre told Rohingya Khobor that many survivors continue to live in fear, displacement, hunger, and uncertainty.
“People are still traumatized by the killings,” he said. “Many families fear that violence can happen again at any time.”
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