Rohingya in Buthidaung Report Unequal Charges for Mobile Antennas

By: Camp Correspondent

21 June 2025 | Buthidaung, Rakhine State
Rohingya residents in Buthidaung Township say they are being unfairly charged high fees by the Arakan Army (AA) to install small mobile antennas. At the same time, other ethnic groups are not subject to the same payments. The allegations have sparked concerns over growing ethnic discrimination in areas under AA control.

The antennas—locally known as “Higher INTANA”—are used to boost weak mobile signals, especially for Rohingya households that depend on Bangladeshi SIM cards due to limited network access.

According to local sources, the AA has demanded 300,000 kyats from each Rohingya household seeking to install one of these devices. In several cases, residents claimed they were denied permission or even briefly detained for attempting to install the antenna without paying the fee.

“When a Rohingya installs one of these antennas, the AA asks for 300,000 kyats,” said a resident. “If we don’t pay, we’re not allowed to set it up. If someone does it without permission, they may be punished.”

A small business owner from the community added that he paid the required amount to avoid confrontation.

“I didn’t want trouble, so I paid. But we all know this charge isn’t applied equally—it only affects Rohingya Muslims,” he said.

Allegations of Unequal Taxation

Community members say this is part of a wider pattern of unequal treatment in local taxation and restrictions, where Rohingya-owned businesses—such as small tea stalls or betel nut shops—are more strictly taxed than those owned by ethnic Rakhine residents.

“Even a small roadside shop owned by a Rohingya must pay annual taxes,” said one resident. “But if a Rakhine shop struggles financially, they may not be required to pay at all.”

Such reports have contributed to increasing frustration among the Rohingya population, who continue to face various movement, livelihood, and communication restrictions.

As of now, the Arakan Army has not responded to the allegations. Independent verification of the claims remains difficult due to restricted media access in conflict-affected areas of Rakhine State.