By: Camp Correspondent
Maungdaw, May 22, 2025 —Rohingya communities in northern Maungdaw Township report a growing pattern of abductions and forced labor under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), which has tightened its grip over much of Rakhine State in recent months.
According to local sources, at least 30 Rohingya boys and young men from Shwe Zar village were forcibly taken by AA fighters shortly after the group seized control of the area. Families say they have received no information about their whereabouts since the abductions and fear the youths have been forcibly conscripted into military training.
“We don’t know if they are alive or dead. We have had no contact with them. We are very scared,” said a family member of one of the missing youths, speaking to Rohingya Khobor.
Similar incidents have been reported across several other villages in Maungdaw, with residents alleging that the AA is targeting Rohingya youth for forced recruitment, using fear and coercion to silence families and communities.
In addition to these abductions, the Arakan Army has reportedly begun forcing Rohingya civilians to perform nightly guard duties in areas under their control. In each village, ten individuals must patrol the area from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. nightly. Participation is mandatory, and households unable to provide an adult male must send teenage boys or pay 10,000 kyats per night to avoid patrol duty.
“We are being forced to take turns guarding the village. If someone refuses, they’re fined or worse. Even children are being sent,” said one resident.
These measures have heightened fear, trauma, and economic hardship across Rohingya communities, many of whom are already facing displacement, extortion, and violence. Families say they are terrified for their missing sons and exhausted by the physical and financial demands of nightly forced labor.
Rohingya voices are urgently calling on the international community to intervene and help stop these abuses, urging global actors to press for the release of abducted youths and the end of compulsory night patrols.
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