By: Camp Correspondent
April 13, 2025 | Maungdaw, Rakhine State
Since gaining full control of Maungdaw Township on December 8, 2024, the Arakan Army (AA) has been increasingly accused of targeting Rohingya civilians with arbitrary arrests, brutal torture, and extrajudicial violence, according to multiple sources from the ground.
On April 6, four Rohingya men from Kyar Gaung Taung village, located in northern Maungdaw, were reportedly arrested by AA forces without any formal charges. Among the detained, one individual was seized from Ken Pyin, a nearby Rakhine-majority village. All four were transported to the AA military base in Kyin Chaung.
“They were taken without explanation. No accusations, no warrants. Just armed men showing up and dragging them away,” said a local resident.
Torture and Death in Custody
Eyewitnesses report that one of the detainees, Anamul Hason, son of Mohammed Shabu, was killed in custody on April 12. According to local sources, the killing occurred in Ken Pyin village, where AA soldiers and armed Rakhine villagers allegedly beat him to death. His body has not yet been returned to his family.
Anamul’s brother, Anuwar Sadek, was arrested alongside him and remains in custody at the Kyin Chaung AA base. Community members say he has been subjected to severe physical torture.
“They cut off his fingers and toes. He’s still alive, but they’re still interrogating him,” a source told Rohingya Khobor, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The other two detainees—Mohammed Akter and Mohammed Eleyas—are also reportedly still being held at the same location. Their condition remains unknown.
Ongoing Fear and Insecurity
The incident has sent shockwaves across the Rohingya communities in northern Maungdaw, where many already fear arbitrary arrest, forced labor, and retaliatory attacks. Community leaders warn that this form of collective punishment and targeted brutality may escalate as the AA solidifies its control over the region.
This is not the first reported case of Rohingya civilians being tortured or killed in AA custody. Since early 2024, several such cases have emerged from villages in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, with little to no response from international observers or human rights institutions operating in Myanmar.
No Formal Accountability
As of yet, no formal charges have been brought against the detainees, nor has the AA or its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), issued any public explanation regarding the arrests or the reported killing of Anamul Hason.
Local Rohingya residents, meanwhile, say these actions appear to be part of a wider campaign of intimidation and ethnic repression, where Rohingya are arbitrarily labeled as threats and punished without due process.
