By: Hafizur Rahman
August 16, 2025 — The Myanmar military, itself facing international trials for genocide and war crimes against the Rohingya, has now turned the same accusation against the Arakan Army (AA). At a briefing, military spokesperson General Zaw Min Tun accused the AA of committing genocide and large-scale massacres of Rohingya civilians in northern Rakhine State.
Massacres in Buthidaung and Maungdaw
General Zaw Min Tun pointed to the massacre of more than 600 Rohingya villagers in Tanshauk Khan village group, locally known as Hoyaseeri, on May 2, 2024. The killings took place after AA forces launched coordinated attacks on army bases in late March that year, eventually seizing control of the area.
“First, they tried to blame the killings on the military. Later, they claimed the dead bodies were those of soldiers. These conflicting statements only make it clearer that genocide was committed. Evidence shows that among the dead, many were women and children,” Zaw Min Tun said.
He further accused AA of burning down houses in seven wards of Buthidaung town and surrounding villages. On May 17, 2024, he said, AA used drones to bomb a school where displaced Rohingya were sheltering, injuring nearly 200 civilians. On August 5, 2024, the AA allegedly carried out another drone strike near the Naff River in Maungdaw, where hundreds of Rohingya had gathered to flee into Bangladesh. According to Zaw Min Tun, the attack killed more than 200 civilians, including women and children, and wounded over 300 others.
Local Accounts and Civilian Impact
Reports from Rohingya residents and other ethnic communities in Buthidaung confirm that houses were burned and that the May 17 drone strike injured large numbers of displaced people sheltering in a school. After the August 5 attack, families described scenes of devastation as civilians waiting to cross the river were targeted.
Rohingya villagers also staged protests against the AA on May 4, demanding peace and stability. Within days, the last government security forces withdrew from Buthidaung, leaving the AA in full control. Residents say the armed group used the withdrawal to expand operations, carrying out mass detentions, arson, and forced evictions.
Junta’s Narrative Under Scrutiny
The military spokesperson accused the AA of targeting the Rohingya out of “ethnic hatred” and exploiting tensions between communities in Rakhine State. He said the government and military are now providing humanitarian aid to Rohingya displaced from Sittwe and Yangon while collecting eyewitness testimonies from survivors in Buthidaung and Maungdaw.
However, international observers note the contradiction in the junta’s claims: the Myanmar military itself is under trial at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for atrocities committed against the Rohingya in 2016–2017. Human rights groups say the military’s accusations against AA may reflect both genuine crimes on the ground and an attempt to deflect global attention from its own ongoing accountability.
The ICC is also reportedly considering an arrest warrant for junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, underscoring the deep international mistrust of the military’s narratives.
A Conflict of Atrocities
For Rohingya civilians, the accusations highlight a grim reality: caught between two armed forces, they continue to face killings, displacement, and persecution. Whether at the hands of the junta or the AA, the pattern of mass violence, forced evictions, and deliberate targeting of communities has left tens of thousands with no safe refuge.
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