By Hafizur Rahman, Buthidaung, Arakan, August 28, 2025
The Arakan Army (AA) has reportedly begun relocating Rakhine residents from Rathedaung, Ponnaguan, and nearby areas into Buthidaung, raising deep concern among Rohingya communities who fear their land is being taken away.
Rakhine Families on the Move
Local residents said the Arakan Army ordered families in Rathedaung to move into Buthidaung, leading to a steady arrival of new settlers. While some families have already been relocated, others remain in the process of moving.
Rohingya Communities Alarmed
One Rohingya resident described the growing unease:
“Many Rakhine families have already arrived, and more continue to come. People are worried that the Arakan Army is planning to take over Rohingya land by settling Rakhine families here. It is heartbreaking to see our villages being emptied and our land given away while we have nowhere to go.”
Tensions Rising in Buthidaung
The relocation has caused widespread anxiety, with Rohingya communities fearing further marginalization in their ancestral homeland. Observers warn that the move could deepen ethnic tensions in Buthidaung, a township already strained by ongoing conflict between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military.
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