Rohingya Forced into Unsafe Settlements After AA Relocations in Buthidaung

By: Camp Correspondent

Buthidaung, Rakhine State — June 10, 2025

Rohingya families forcibly relocated by the Arakan Army (AA) in Buthidaung Township say they are now living in overcrowded and hazardous conditions, without access to basic services or safety guarantees.

Since the AA took full control of Buthidaung, thousands of Rohingya have been pushed from their ancestral villages into makeshift settlements along the banks of the Mayu River. There, they face serious threats—from fire outbreaks and disease to the loss of farmland that once sustained them.

“They told us we’d be arrested if we didn’t leave,” said one displaced farmer, now living in a temporary shelter. “Our farms are gone, our water is dirty, and there’s no clinic. We’re just trying to survive.”

“Living in a Fire Trap”

The new sites are dangerously overcrowded. Residents say bamboo shelters are packed tightly together, with no firebreaks or emergency planning. In such density, a single blaze could devastate the entire area.

“If one house catches fire, the whole place will go up,” said another Rohingya man. “This isn’t a home—it’s a trap. The AA gave us land, but no safety, no dignity.”

No Clean Water, No Power, No Future

Aid workers confirm that the relocation sites lack access to clean drinking water, electricity, drainage, and sanitation facilities. With the monsoon season underway, families are at increased risk of waterborne diseases and landslides. Children play in mud; the elderly fall sick without access to basic care.

“They Took Our Land—Then Moved Others In”

At the same time, local sources say Rakhine families have been resettled into emptied Rohingya villages. This population shift appears to be part of a broader demographic strategy to alter the ethnic balance in northern Rakhine.

“We watched them take our land, then bring others to live in our homes,” one Rohingya elder told Rohingya Khobor. “Now we’re in shacks, and they call it peace.”

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled since the AA began its takeover of Buthidaung in early 2024. Those who remain say they are effectively imprisoned in unsafe zones, with little hope of returning to their original homes.

“We are not asking for charity,” said a local schoolteacher. “We just want our homes back—and the right to live like human beings.”