By: Camp Correspondent
January 24, 2025
In Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, displaced families faced starkly contrasting fortunes on January 23, as some were allowed to return home while others were forcibly evicted by the Arakan Army (AA).
The Shwezar village tract, which includes 12 villages such as Gonena, Ale Village, Konkha, Zedi Pyin, Kapakaung, Dawliya Fara, Kyauk Fara, and Zawkhaw Fara, saw limited returns of displaced residents.
Families from Ale Village and Kyauk Fara were brought back from the Hlapho Khaung Reception Camp by the AA to the Hlabawzar Bridge area. However, the process was restrictive—of the fewer than 100 families taken, only 35 were provided family certificates to re-enter their villages.
The remaining families were sent back to the camp, sparking frustration among the displaced.
One individual left behind expressed dismay, saying, “The AA’s actions are confusing and hard to understand.”
Simultaneously, in northern Maungdaw, 25 families who had previously returned to Kanyin Taw (Arshikhafara) in Hlabawzar earlier this month were forcibly evicted by AA troops. According to eyewitnesses, soldiers arrived in the village on January 23, citing orders from Region 6 near Pyin Phyu Camp.
Villagers were told, “You Muslims cannot stay here,” before being expelled from their homes, leaving them displaced once again.
The contrasting developments underscore the complex and precarious situation faced by displaced communities in Rakhine State.
For many, efforts to rebuild their lives remain fraught with uncertainty, as instability and targeted discrimination continue to hinder their resettlement.
