By: Camp Correspondent
Camp-26, Rohingya Refugee Camp, 17 June 2025
In the heart of Kyaukphyu Township, a silent crisis is unfolding. Families of Rakhine soldiers stationed at Marine Corps Battalion 543 are reportedly trapped within military compounds—cut off from communication, surrounded by landmines, and increasingly abandoned by the Myanmar military authorities they once served.
As the conflict intensifies between the military junta and the Arakan Army (AA), a stark divide has emerged: while families of non-Rakhine soldiers have been quietly relocated to secure naval bases such as Thit Phut Taung and Thanyawaddy, Rakhine families remain behind, under watch, with nowhere to go.
Local sources confirm that many of these families are not only restricted in movement but now face deadly consequences for even attempting to flee. In recent days, at least two separate landmine incidents have injured Rakhine family members—one involving a woman near Battalion 543, and another case where a mother and child were wounded near the naval base at Thit Phut Taung on June 12.
Despite serious injuries, the affected individuals were reportedly denied permission to seek treatment outside the base. “They are being treated like suspects, not family members of soldiers,” said a local woman from Kyaukphyu. “Even medical help is kept behind gates and guards.”
Fearing defection, the military has ramped up surveillance. Since May, mobile phones have been confiscated and all communication with the outside world has been cut off. “They don’t even let the wives go out for essentials,” another resident shared. “Some try to escape—but stepping outside the compound might mean stepping on a mine.”
This treatment stands in stark contrast to the care and relocation extended to non-Rakhine military families—raising fresh concerns about ethnic discrimination within the armed forces themselves.
Analysts suggest that the junta’s decision to isolate Rakhine families stems from deep-rooted mistrust, as some Rakhine soldiers have already surrendered or shifted allegiance to the Arakan Army.
As the war stretches on, these families—caught between loyalty and survival—remain in limbo. Their silence, enforced by wire fences and armed guards, speaks volumes about the growing rift inside Myanmar’s fractured military and the broader ethnic tensions simmering across Rakhine State.
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