By Hafizur Rahman
August 4, 2025 | Cox’s Bazar
The Rohingya community in Rakhine State is once again facing a worsening crisis as the Arakan Army (AA) expands its control in the north while the Myanmar junta prepares a major military offensive in the lead-up to national elections. Eyewitness accounts, resident testimonies, and rights group findings paint a grim picture of forced displacement, looting, extortion, and systematic human rights violations, with Rohingya civilians trapped between two armed forces.
AA Withdraws from North Maungdaw Amid Growing Tensions
In recent days, the Arakan Army has withdrawn most of its troops and heavy arms from northern Maungdaw, shifting them to southern areas. Local sources report that many bases now stand nearly empty, AA flags removed, and only a handful of soldiers remain. Residents say the AA has instructed them to remain silent about the withdrawal, warning that those who speak to the media will be punished.
“We live under constant threat,” said a Rohingya resident of Maungdaw. “There is no safe space, no freedom, only fear.”
Daily life in Maungdaw District is now defined by arbitrary arrests, forced evictions, torture, and severe restrictions on movement, particularly for Rohingya families.
Looted Rohingya Property Now Being Resold
Adding insult to injury, Rohingya property seized during the AA takeover of Maungdaw in August 2024 is now being sold back to residents. Witnesses report that motorcycles, solar panels, batteries, and other household goods—once looted from abandoned Rohingya homes—are being openly sold in Maungdaw Township.
“A motorcycle worth over 1 million kyat is now being sold for just 600,000,” said a local resident. “These were ours. They took them and now sell them back to us.”
Following the seizure of Border Guard Police Headquarters No. 5, AA troops reportedly looted thousands of items from Rohingya homes and transported them by truck toward Buthidaung. Residents describe the current sale as a deliberate exploitation of displaced communities.
Fishermen Forced to Surrender Half Their Catch
In a new measure beginning August 1, Rohingya fishermen in Maungdaw must now hand over half of their daily catch to the AA to receive permission to fish in the Naf River. Fishermen must also submit personal data—including name, address, and photo—a day in advance, and face threats of punishment if they fail to report “suspicious activity.”
“This is not a tax. It’s daylight extortion,” said one fisherman. “We go home with almost nothing, while our families starve.”
Human Rights Watch: AA Policies Mirror Junta’s
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Arakan Army of imposing oppressive policies eerily similar to those long used by Myanmar’s military regime—including forced labor, arbitrary detention, travel restrictions, and the resale of stolen goods.
Rohingya in AA-controlled areas must purchase one-day travel permits costing up to 5,000 kyat, while humanitarian access remains heavily blocked. Combined with junta-enforced aid restrictions, this has created severe food insecurity across Rakhine.
“AA’s actions amount to crimes against humanity,” said Elaine Pearson, HRW’s Asia Director. “Over 400,000 people in Rakhine and Chin remain displaced, with 200,000 Rohingya already having fled to Bangladesh.”
Junta Gears Up for Offensive in Pauktaw
Meanwhile, the Myanmar military is preparing a large-scale offensive to retake Pauktaw Township, under AA control since March 2024. Analysts believe the junta seeks a symbolic military success ahead of elections planned to begin in December.
“The junta wants a victory to boast about,” said Colonel Zin Yaw, a former officer now part of the Civil Disobedience Movement. “But Rakhine is different. Geography and AA resistance will make it difficult.”
Already, artillery fire has displaced thousands in villages surrounding Pauktaw and Sittwe. Observers fear that a full-scale assault is imminent, putting Rohingya communities—already marginalized and stateless—at even greater risk.
A Community Trapped in Crisis, Again
Caught between AA abuses and the junta’s militarized ambitions, Rohingya civilians now face renewed threats of displacement, dispossession, and targeted violence. Survivors of the 2017 genocide campaign find themselves once again forced from their homes, stripped of dignity, and denied protection.
Rights groups warn that without urgent international pressure, the escalating situation in Rakhine could trigger yet another wave of mass suffering for the world’s most persecuted minority.
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