by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw Township, Arakan State | December 23, 2025
Rohingya residents in Maungdaw Township say they are facing severe travel restrictions, as movement in and out of Maungdaw town is now blocked without a recommendation letter issued by village administrators linked to the Arakan Army.
Local residents said the restrictions affect Rohingya communities across both northern and southern Maungdaw, making even basic travel for medical care, funerals, work, or family visits extremely difficult.
In northern Maungdaw, Rohingya residents said they are completely barred from using the Kyi Kan Pyin checkpoint. To reach Maungdaw town, they are forced to take longer and more dangerous routes through Mingalar Gyi, Hla Phoe Khaung, Kanyin Taw, and Shwe Zar villages, where multiple Arakan Army checkpoints are located.
A Rohingya man from northern Maungdaw told Rohingya Khobor that he was stopped while trying to travel for medical treatment. He said AA members demanded a recommendation letter and refused to let him pass without it.
At the checkpoints, residents said travelers are required to provide their names, village details, and purpose of travel. They must also sign documents both when entering and leaving Maungdaw town, creating fear of surveillance and punishment.
Similar restrictions are reported in southern Maungdaw, including Pantaw Pyin, Nyaung Chaung, Panyaw Pin Gyi, Dunyaw Pin Gyi, and Magyi Chaung villages. Residents said that at the Pantaw Pyin Bridge checkpoint, no one is allowed to pass without a recommendation letter, regardless of urgency.
A Rohingya woman living inside Maungdaw town said even residents within the town are effectively trapped. She said without permission letters, Rohingya cannot visit nearby villages or relatives, as all roads are closed to them.
Residents also said obtaining recommendation letters comes at a financial cost. Villagers reported paying between 5,000 and 10,000 kyats per letter, including during emergencies. Some local administrators have reportedly admitted in private that part of this money is shared with Arakan Army security personnel.
Last month, the restrictions reportedly contributed to a fatal incident. A pregnant Rohingya woman from Kyauk Hlay Kar village died while being taken to Maungdaw town after delays in obtaining travel permission, according to local residents.
An elderly Rohingya man said the community once moved freely along these roads. He said today every route feels locked, leaving people confined to their villages like prisoners.
Residents from U Hla, Ngan Chaung, Ngar Sar Kyu, Pwint Phyu Chaung, Kyar Gaung Taung, Nga Khu Yar, Kyat Yoe Pyin, and U Chay Kya villages said they are no longer allowed to travel to nearby areas such as Kyauk Hlay Kar, Thayet Oak, and Pyin Phyu without permission.
People monitoring the situation in Arakan State said many of the affected villages are far from active fighting zones. They warned that the blanket travel restrictions are deepening fear, poverty, and humanitarian suffering.
Rohingya residents said the travel bans are cutting them off from healthcare, livelihoods, and basic survival, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Maungdaw Township.
