by Hafizur Rahman
Arakan State, November 4, 2025 — Rohingya residents across Arakan State say their suffering continues despite a change in control from the Myanmar military to the Arakan Army (AA). Locals report that while the rulers have changed, the fear, restrictions, and deprivation remain the same.
The AA now controls roughly 90 percent of the region, according to residents, and has imposed tight restrictions on movement, employment, and access to farmland. Food shortages, forced labor, and intimidation have become part of daily life for Rohingya communities.
“We thought life would be better when the Myanmar army left,” said a man from Buthidaung. “But now we face the same suffering under a different ruler.”
Reports from human rights organizations indicate that the AA has forced many Rohingya civilians into labor, limited their freedom of movement, and detained those who speak out. Entire villages have been burned, and many families have lost their homes, land, and livestock.
A woman from Maungdaw said her home was destroyed last year. “We lost everything. We are still scared every night because we don’t know what will happen next.”
As conditions worsen, increasing numbers of Rohingya families are attempting to flee toward the Bangladesh border despite the dangers of arrest or violence along the way. “We are not safe anywhere,” said a man from Kyauktaw. “Whether it is under the army or the AA, we are always treated like we are not human.”
Human rights groups have called on the Arakan Army to end its abuses and respect the rights of all civilians in the territories under its control. For now, however, the Rohingya people remain trapped between warring forces — enduring oppression under every flag that claims to rule Arakan.
