AA Abducts Hundreds of Rohingya in Maungdaw

On the night of July 19, 2024, the Arakan Army (AA) launched a large-scale abduction in Gyi Ken Pyin village, Maungdaw Township, taking nearly 300 Rohingya villagers hostage. This shocking act has left the entire community in a state of fear and uncertainty.

Witnesses reported that the AA encircled the village, seizing all residents, including women and children. Over the following days, children under the age of 10 were released, but only after the AA confiscated their belongings, including mobile phones, gold, and cash. Boys aged 10 and above, along with adult men, were held captive.

“A huge group of AA soldiers surrounded our village and took everyone hostage. They released the younger children after taking everything they had, but the older boys and men were detained,” recounted one villager.

The 300 men held captive were confined in a local school. They are being provided food only once a day, and family members are barred from any contact. “They are innocent people, not involved in any crimes. Yet, they are being treated like criminals, held under harsh conditions,” said one escapee.

On August 15, 2024, the situation took a darker turn when eight of the detained men were forcibly taken to southern Maungdaw. The men, bound and with their faces covered, were identified as:

1. Abul Hashim, 45
2. Abdu Raman, 28
3. Aziz, 29
4. Aziz Ullah,32
5. Abdul Husson, 20
6. Asad Ullah, 29
7. Mohammad Rofik, 44

On August 29, 2024, the AA released 270 of the abducted villagers, but 27 men remain in captivity. Reports indicate that these men are subjected to daily beatings and receive only one meal a day. “They are being tortured and interrogated under false accusations of ties to the Myanmar military,” said one of the released villagers.

This incident marks another grim chapter in the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya community, highlighting the urgent need for international intervention and protection.

Rohingya Vision News