by Hafizur Rahman
Buthidaung, November 6, 2025 — Witnesses and local sources report that the Arakan Army (AA) continues to arbitrarily arrest, detain, and torture Rohingya civilians in Buthidaung town after taking control of the area.
According to residents, the AA has been arresting anyone—regardless of age—whom they suspect of opposing them or having links with the Myanmar military. Those detained are being held in Buthidaung Prison without the right to appeal, legal representation, or family contact.
Witnesses said detainees are only permitted to bring one set of clothes, leaving all other belongings at the prison gate. The facility is reportedly overcrowded, with poor sanitation, limited clean water, and virtually no medical care.
Prisoners are given only one meal per day, leaving many malnourished and weak. The unhygienic conditions have led to widespread illness, including skin infections, swelling, diarrhea, and vomiting. Several detainees have reportedly died without treatment.
Bathing is allowed only once every 15 days, and detainees must wear the same wet clothes afterward. Former prisoners described brutal beatings inside the facility. “Even at night, we were forced to line up every hour and stay awake,” said one man who was released. “If we fell asleep or could not work, we were beaten or left hungry.”
AA soldiers allegedly enter the prison frequently, assaulting inmates with rubber sticks, metal rods, and their fists, often striking their heads and faces. Those who fall ill are reportedly given only a single paracetamol tablet and told, “There is no medicine for criminals.”
Families are barred from visiting or communicating with detainees, leaving relatives unsure whether their loved ones are alive or dead. Witnesses said that at night, bodies of those who died were secretly removed so others could not see them.
Local sources estimate that more than 1,500 Rohingya prisoners are currently held in Buthidaung Prison, “living every day under heat and rain like animals.”
Human rights activists have condemned the Arakan Army’s treatment of detainees, comparing the prison to a “Nazi-style camp.” They urged the international community to act urgently to rescue the survivors and hold those responsible for these crimes accountable under international law.
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