By Hafizur Rahman, Camp Correspondent | 10 June 2025
In northern Rakhine State, the Rohingya continue to endure life under siege. As control of the region has shifted from the Myanmar military to the Arakan Army (AA), hope briefly flickered. But for most Rohingya families, that hope has quickly been replaced by fresh waves of fear, loss, and uncertainty.
“Freedom” Comes with a Price
While the AA now allows Rohingya Muslims to travel with special recommendation letters, the reality is far from freedom. “You can go to town with the letter,” said a resident of Minbya, “but it’s valid only for one day—and you have to pay for each letter. If you need to stay overnight, you’re stuck.”
This token mobility comes at great cost—financial, emotional, and physical—trapping families in poverty and uncertainty.
Livelihoods Strangled
In Maungdaw, the AA has blocked Rohingya access to fishing zones, prawn farms, and even personal ponds. A fisherman from Maung Ni village said:
“They told us we can’t fish anymore—not even in our own water. Now we have no way to survive.”
Families once self-sufficient now rely on plain rice, with children growing visibly malnourished.
Homes and Shops Seized
In villages like Gutar Pyin and Sein Nyin Pyin, the AA has reportedly seized Rohingya homes and resettled Rakhine families in them. “We rebuilt our lives after 2017,” said one displaced man. “Now, they’ve taken everything again.”
In Maungdaw town, Rohingya-owned shops are being shut down without explanation. Abdul Karim, a shopkeeper, said:
“This was my only source of income. The AA just told me I can’t sell there anymore. No reason. No warning.”
Military Expansion, Civilian Displacement
Local sources confirm that villages like Myo Taung and Ngan Chaung are being cleared to build AA military bases. Over 100 Rohingya families have been forcibly evicted, with their homes handed over to Rakhine settlers.
“They dismantled our homes and made us flee,” said one local. “We have nowhere left to go.”
“We Fled Fire and Sky”: A Family’s Escape from Maungdaw
One Rohingya family from Foyazi Para shared their terrifying journey, capturing the grim human cost behind the headlines:
“It began in August 2024. The AA launched drone and air attacks across Maungdaw. They dropped explosives whenever they saw gatherings. People died in fields, on roads, inside homes.
We fled through paddy fields, our house burning behind us. Drones circled overhead. We saw neighbors—children—killed in front of us.
On the way to Bangladesh, a drone struck our group. My 14-year-old was injured. My 4-year-old was wounded in both arms. But the worst—our one-year-old baby died instantly. We couldn’t even grieve. We just kept running.
We waited eight days stranded on Zallah Island. No food. No help. Finally, a boat brought us across—but we were arrested by the Border Guard and detained for six more days.
Now we are in the camp—broken, grieving, but alive.”
Conclusion: Fragile Hopes, Urgent Needs
The Arakan Army’s rule may differ from the Myanmar military’s in structure, but the outcome for the Rohingya remains hauntingly similar: dispossession, displacement, and despair.
As families like those from Foyazi Para cling to survival, the international community must reckon with a rising humanitarian crisis—and respond not only with aid, but with accountability.
