Rohingya Tailor Tortured to Death by Arakan Army in Maungdaw

By: Camp Correspondent

Maungdaw, Arakan (Rakhine State) — May 27, 2025

In a disturbing act of violence that has shocked local communities, a Rohingya tailor, U Anam, son of Mv Sawli Mullah, was forcibly taken from his home and later found dead after brutal torture by members of the Arakan Army (AA).

The incident occurred on May 25 around 4:00 PM, when AA troops — currently stationed at the former Township Administration Office — raided his residence in Ward No. 2 of Maungdaw town without presenting any charges or explanation. Hours later, his body was discovered nearby, bearing clear signs of severe physical abuse.

“He was a quiet man. A tailor. He had no connection to politics or conflict,” said Mohammed Karim, a community elder who spoke with Rohingya Khobor. “They dragged him out like a criminal, and returned his body like he was nothing. This is not justice — this is terror.”

Rising Pattern of Violence Against Rohingya

The Arakan Army, a Rakhine ethnic armed group, has taken control of large parts of northern Rakhine since late 2024. Since then, Rohingya residents in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships have reported a sharp rise in abductions, forced labor, beatings, and targeted killings.

“My children cry in fear every night, thinking their father might be next,” said Halima Begum, a neighbor of the deceased. “We are prisoners in our own land — hunted with no one to turn to.”

Rights observers say that such incidents are no longer isolated but part of a systematic campaign of terror against Rohingya civilians. Despite the AA’s claims of inclusive governance, its actions on the ground have increasingly resembled collective punishment and ethnic targeting.

A Stateless People Trapped in Conflict

Already denied citizenship and basic rights for decades, the Rohingya community in northern Rakhine is now caught between two armed forces: the remnants of the Myanmar junta and the expanding reach of the AA. Both sides have been accused of serious human rights violations.

Local Rohingya sources say that those who stay behind are often forced to work for AA units, while others are arbitrarily detained or tortured without any judicial process.

“We are not combatants. We are civilians,” said one young man who asked not to be named. “But to them, our lives mean nothing.”

Calls for Accountability and International Action

Human rights organizations and Rohingya advocacy groups have condemned the killing of U Anam and called on the international community to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into the role of the Arakan Army in the ongoing violence against Rohingya civilians.

“This is no longer a local issue — it’s a matter of international justice,” said one advocacy group in exile. “If this continues unchecked, it may amount to war crimes or ethnic cleansing under international law.”

Despite repeated appeals, global silence continues to embolden perpetrators. No justice has ever been served for similar killings, nor have the Rohingya received any formal protection guarantees from either local authorities or the AA administration.

One More Life Lost — One More Family Broken

As of now, no AA spokesperson has responded to inquiries about the killing. The body of U Anam was buried quietly by grieving relatives, under the shadow of fear that more such deaths may follow.