By: Camp Correspondent
April 24, 2025 |
In a move raising alarm across Rohingya communities, the Arakan Army (AA) has reportedly ordered village administrators in Maungdaw Township to recruit 30 to 50 Rohingya youth per village to join its armed forces, according to ground reports gathered by Rohingya Khobor.
The directive was issued during several closed-door meetings held on Thursday, April 24, at locations including Myot Taung village, Pyin Phyu’s Area 6, and Myauk Than Kyaw base.
Village leaders and religious figures were summoned and instructed to mobilize Rohingya youth for military service, leaving communities with little space for refusal.
“They said it is our duty to fight in the revolution,” said one village administrator, speaking anonymously for security reasons. “We were told to send young people to training camps. If we don’t cooperate, we fear punishment.”
Forced Conscription Under Fear and Pressure
According to AA’s instructions, males aged 18–45 and females aged 18–35 are required to undergo 45 days of military training, after which they will be deployed for security and frontline duties.
For most Rohingya families already grappling with displacement, hunger, and insecurity, the new conscription drive feels like a fresh blow to their survival.
“We are already struggling to survive, and now they want to take our sons away,” said Noor Alam, a father of four from northern Maungdaw. “If my son goes, who will provide for our family?”
Another youth from the Kyikanpyin area shared his fear:
“I want peace, not war. But they said if I refuse, my family might be in danger. This is not a choice. It’s fear disguised as duty.”
Divided Voices: Dignity or Despair?
While many fear forced recruitment, some youths see the situation differently.
“Our ancestors once stood side by side with the Rakhine to defend Arakan,” said Mohammad Salim, a 22-year-old from Buthidaung. “Now it is our time to do the same. We must show we are part of this land.”
However, past experiences tell a darker story. Families of Rohingya youths conscripted by the AA during previous “training drives” in 2024 report that many never returned.
“We heard that those who went for training last year disappeared,” said a mother from Ngan Chaung, whose two sons were taken in 2024. “We don’t know if they are alive.”
A Community Between Coercion and Silence
The conscription drive has thrown the Rohingya community into a deep moral and existential crisis—caught between fear of reprisals if they refuse, and uncertainty and danger if they comply.
“We have no weapons, no power, and now no voice,” said an elderly Rohingya man. “They say we must go. So we go.”
Community leaders privately worry that this conscription could further weaken Rohingya society, eroding family structures, disrupting education, and dragging a stateless people into an armed conflict they did not choose.
International Concern and Calls for Monitoring
Human rights observers and Rohingya advocacy groups are urging the United Nations and regional actors to closely monitor the situation in northern Rakhine. Forced recruitment of civilians—especially members of a stateless minority—is a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Without urgent intervention, young Rohingya lives may continue to be forced into conflict zones, further entrenching cycles of violence, poverty, and trauma.
