By: Camp Correspondent
Maungdaw, May 25, 2025 — Two Rohingya children, both under the age of five, have died in custody under the Arakan Army (AA/ULA) due to prolonged deprivation of food, clean water, and medical treatment. The children were part of a group of 17 Rohingya families from Shwe Zar village group, who have been detained since April 26 at the Maungdaw Central Police Station — now under AA control.
The detainees, totaling 72 people — including 30 men, 42 women, and multiple children — were reportedly returning to their native village in early 2025 after years of displacement. Since their detention, they have been denied access to basic necessities. Sources confirm that detainees are being given only one meal a day, consisting of plain rice, without any vegetables or protein. Families were initially not allowed to send food, medicine, or water, and elderly individuals with chronic conditions are among those suffering in detention.
“The children died of diarrhea,” said a relative from Shwe Zar now residing in a refugee camp. “They were in a room with no clean water, no doctor, no care — and no one to hear their cries.”
The two deaths have sparked deep concern among Rohingya communities both inside Rakhine and in exile, as the health conditions of other children and elderly detainees reportedly continue to deteriorate.
A Betrayal Disguised as Registration
In early April, several Rohingya families, displaced by previous military campaigns, had cautiously returned to Maungdaw following assurances of safety. Upon re-entry, they were forced to pay 100,000 MMK per person, including for infants, at AA checkpoints. They were then temporarily sheltered at Kyauk Pyin Seik rescue camp, where AA/ULA authorities collected their family lists and promised new ID cards and registration.
However, on April 25, AA officials entered Shwe Zar village and summoned the families — led by U Alom and 16 others — for registration photographs. Instead of receiving documentation, they were taken to Maungdaw Police Station and detained without clear charges.
Later, AA-aligned police authorities claimed that the families would face six-month jail terms for “illegal border crossing,” despite the fact that these individuals were simply returning to their own homeland.
Court appearances were granted for some, while others remain in limbo without legal counsel or formal process. For nearly a month, no external contact was permitted. Only recently have families been allowed to send small food parcels and receive brief visits.
“Their only crime was coming back home,” said one local elder. “And now they are punished like criminals. Even the children.”
Maungdaw Under AA Control
Since December 8, 2024, Maungdaw town has remained under the complete control of the Arakan Army after the fall of Tactical Command Base 5. Amid shifting frontlines and intensifying conflict between the AA and junta forces, thousands of Rohingya and other civilians were displaced. Many fled north toward the border with Bangladesh or south toward Buthidaung.
By early 2025, some families began returning to their original homes. But under AA control, the return has proven perilous. Demands for cash, restricted movement, confiscated property, and now, arbitrary detention — all have raised alarm over the treatment of Rohingya civilians under new rulers.
Tears Behind Bars
A month into their captivity, grief continues to grow. Families of the detained still wait outside the police station and courtroom gates, hoping for news. “We just want them home,” said a tearful woman whose husband and two children are among the detainees. “We came back because we believed them. Now we are paying the price.”
Despite AA’s claims of building an inclusive administration, incidents like these have cast serious doubt on those assurances. Human rights observers say the deaths of the two children are not isolated tragedies, but symptoms of a broader pattern of neglect, abuse, and ethnic targeting.
As of now, all 17 families remain in detention. The names of the deceased children have not been publicly released at the request of the grieving families.
