By: Camp Correspondent
April 16, 2025 | Maungdaw, Rakhine State
Rohingya shopkeepers attempting to reopen their businesses in Maungdaw town after returning from displacement report facing intimidation and threats from a powerful local Rakhine figure,U Htun Aye Thein, a businessman and chairman of the town’s Gold Traders Association.
According to several shop owners, U Htun Aye Thein, who owns Nawarat Gold Shop in Ward No. 1, has been using his influence to prevent Rohingya from reopening gold and other high-value businesses, especially in prime market locations.
“He came to us and said, ‘If you open your shops without listening to me, I’ll report you to the area commander and say you’re linked to ARSA. I’ll have all of you arrested,’” one Rohingya shopkeeper told RohingyaKhobor.com.
Unofficial Power and Intimidation
While there has been no official order from the Arakan Army (AA) or its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), to restrict Rohingya business activities, U Htun Aye Thein is allegedly using informal power and local connections to impose his own agenda.
Shopkeepers claim that he is organizing groups to control which shops can reopen, reserving prominent commercial spots for Rakhine traders and deliberately excluding Rohingya from access to those locations.
“Even though the town is under new control, people like him are still using their influence to silence us,” said another Rohingya trader from Ward No. 2. “He said we should stay quiet and let Rakhine traders take the good spots.”
A Struggle to Rebuild
Most Rohingya-owned shops in Maungdaw were destroyed, looted, or forcibly closed during past waves of violence and displacement. In recent weeks, some families have begun returning to the town with hope of rebuilding their livelihoods under AA administration. However, these new threats have rekindled old fears.
“We just want to live and work peacefully like anyone else. We’re not asking for special rights—just the right to restart what we lost,” said a gold trader who returned last month.
Community members say the intimidation is affecting not just gold shops but other sectors as well, including groceries, clothing stores, and mobile accessories. In some cases, Rohingya have been warned not to open stores near the main bazaar area at all.
Call for Action from Authorities
Many Rohingya residents are now calling on the ULA/AA to investigate the allegations and ensure that no individual or group can use threats or ethnic favoritism to suppress others trying to recover economically.
“The war may be over, but if we are not allowed to rebuild our lives, the suffering continues,” said a displaced businessman still waiting to reopen his shop.
This report highlights a broader concern expressed by many Rohingya returnees: that without protection from abuse and equal access to livelihood opportunities, returning to Maungdaw may bring more struggle than safety.
