By: Camp Correspondent
Maungdaw, April 3, 2025 —
Rohingya returnees in Maungdaw Township are calling on the Arakan Army (AA) to take urgent action against widespread looting in their villages, as many homes have been ransacked during their absence. While the AA has reportedly arrested over 100 individuals for theft in Maungdaw town over the past three months, similar efforts in Rohingya-populated areas remain lacking.
“During the conflict, we fled to Bangladesh for safety,” said a resident from Shwezar village. “When we returned, we found our homes stripped bare. Some houses had everything stolen — solar panels, beds, clothes — everything was gone.”
From January 1 to April 3, the AA has detained over 100 individuals in Maungdaw town — mostly Rakhine and Hindu residents — for burglary, according to local sources. The AA recovered stolen goods in many cases and handed down punishments, including three-year prison sentences for individuals caught stealing UNICEF education materials. Others received physical punishments or were publicly shamed.
Despite these actions in town, residents say no similar crackdown has been carried out in Rohingya villages, where theft has continued, particularly targeting homes abandoned by families still stranded in refugee camps across the border.
“We left everything behind to escape death,” said a Rohingya returnee from the Maung Ni area. “Now, we are returning to nothing. What kind of future are we coming back to if our homes are looted and no one is held responsible?”
In an attempt to control crime, the AA has imposed a curfew in Maungdaw town, banning movement after 7 PM. “Anyone seen outside after dark is treated as a thief and arrested immediately,” said a resident from West Myoma Ward. However, despite these measures, looting continues, especially in rural areas.
Community leaders are now demanding that the AA expand its anti-looting operations to Rohingya villages.
“AA must take these crimes seriously. If they can arrest people in town, why not protect our villages too?” said a Rohingya elder. “If looters go unpunished, returnees will keep suffering.”
As many Rohingya families slowly return home after years of displacement, they now face the added burden of rebuilding from scratch — without support, protection, or justice.
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