by Hafizur Rahman
Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships, Arakan State | January 06, 2026
Rohingya communities in northern Rakhine State say land and property seizures are intensifying, leaving families fearful, hungry, and increasingly uncertain about their future. Reports from Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships describe a growing pattern of farmland confiscation and the illegal removal and sale of Rohingya homes and belongings.
In King Taung Village of Buthidaung Township, Rohingya residents say more than 120 acres of farmland and around 12 acres of cemetery land have been seized since April 2025. The land includes rice fields that families say they have depended on for generations.
A Rohingya farmer said his family’s livelihood has been cut off. He said his father and grandfather worked the land for decades, but now residents are not allowed to cultivate their fields and have no clear way to survive.
Villagers say they are banned from farming their own land, even though the rice growing season has already passed and the fields remain unused. At the same time, residents allege that cattle are allowed to graze on the seized land in exchange for a fee of 10,000 kyats per cow.
Another villager said it is painful to watch their land sit empty while children go hungry. He said people are afraid to speak out, but staying silent means losing everything.
Rice farming is the main source of income in King Taung. Without access to their fields, many families say they are struggling to buy food. Some have taken loans, while others depend on relatives to survive.
The reported seizure of cemetery land has caused deep emotional distress. Residents fear they may no longer be able to bury their loved ones according to Islamic traditions.
A Rohingya elder said the cemetery is not just land but a place that holds their parents, elders, and history. He said taking it away feels like erasing their existence.
Residents also allege that seized Rohingya land is being used to build new villages, while Rohingya cultural and historical sites are being damaged or destroyed. This has increased fears that the community may never be able to return to normal life.
At the same time, in Maung Ni ward of Maungdaw town, residents report that Rohingya homes left behind by families who fled fighting are being looted and sold illegally. Locals accuse two brothers from the area of working with armed personnel and local authorities to remove and sell property from empty houses.
Witnesses said the men arrive at night and remove beds, cupboards, chairs, doors, windows, and wooden boards from locked homes. The items are then sold at low prices to traders and transported toward Buthidaung and Rathidaung.
A Rohingya resident from Maung Ni said the houses belong to families known in the community. He said many fled suddenly, leaving everything behind, and now even doors and windows are being taken.
Residents say anyone who tries to protest faces threats, forcing many to remain silent out of fear.
A woman from Maung Ni said her sister’s house was locked when she fled. One morning, the family found the house broken into and her belongings gone. She said it felt like losing her sister twice.
Locals also report that some houses are being damaged to remove valuable materials. Walls are broken, roofs damaged, and homes left unsafe. Children still living nearby are frightened by trucks arriving late at night.
An elderly Rohingya resident said ordinary people have no power when armed men are involved, and there is no one to stop them.
Residents said that on January 4, furniture and wooden materials were taken from another house in Maung Ni and sold the same day. Neighbours recognised the items as belonging to a displaced Rohingya family.
Across both Buthidaung and Maungdaw, Rohingya community members are calling for urgent action to protect civilian land and property. They say that even during conflict, homes, farmland, and burial grounds must be respected.
For now, families in King Taung and Maung Ni say they live in constant fear, watching their fields remain empty, their homes stripped, their traditions threatened, and their future growing more uncertain with each passing day.
