Local accounts allege that women and underage girls are being pressured into recruitment in AA-controlled areas of Rakhine, but the reported figure could not be independently verified.
by Ro Yassin Abdumonab
RAKHINE STATE, 16 August 2026: More than 450 Rohingya women and girls have reportedly been forcibly recruited by the Arakan Army (AA) across areas under its control in Rakhine State, according to local sources, amid growing concern over coercive recruitment of Rohingya civilians.
The reported figure was provided by Rohingya community sources and could not be independently verified by Rohingya Khobor.
Residents said some families have been pressured to provide a member for recruitment. In households without an adult man available, families were allegedly told to send a woman instead.
Sources also alleged that poorer households face greater pressure, while some families with greater financial means have been able to avoid recruitment by making payments.
Several of those reportedly recruited are said to be girls under the age of 18. If confirmed, their recruitment would raise serious concerns over the use of children by an armed group.
The allegations involve Rohingya communities in several parts of Rakhine State, including Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Minbya and Thandwe, according to the sources.
Families Report Pressure and Fear
Several Rohingya women and family members told the reporter that they had faced heavy pressure connected to recruitment.
Some families reportedly left their homes because they feared that women or girls in their households would be forced to join the AA.
One Rohingya woman who fled with her family said the pressure had become severe enough that they believed leaving was the only way to protect themselves.
Local sources also alleged that some women taken for recruitment faced restrictions concerning their clothing and religious practices. Rohingya Khobor could not independently confirm those allegations.
The exact number of women and girls recruited, their ages, where they have been taken and what duties they have been required to perform remain unclear.
Earlier Recruitment Allegations
The latest claims follow earlier reports of pressure on Rohingya women and girls in AA-controlled areas.
In October 2025, Rohingya residents in Maungdaw and Buthidaung told Rohingya Khobor that the AA had ordered young women to undergo military training. Similar reports emerged again in Buthidaung in February 2026, when residents said AA personnel had collected the names of girls from several villages for possible recruitment.
Fortify Rights has separately documented allegations of forced labour and conscription by the Arakan Army involving Rohingya and other minority communities.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has also said it is investigating serious crimes allegedly committed by armed groups opposed to the Myanmar military, including allegations involving child recruitment and sexual violence.
Calls for Independent Investigation
Rohingya community members are calling on international human rights organisations and monitoring bodies to investigate the latest allegations and determine the scale and conditions of any recruitment involving women and children.
If civilians are being compelled to join an armed force, and particularly if children are being recruited, the allegations could raise serious concerns under international humanitarian and human rights law.
Rohingya Khobor could not independently verify the reported figure of more than 450 women and girls or obtain a response from the Arakan Army regarding the allegations at the time of publication.
