AA Dismantles Rohingya, Forcibly Relocates in Buthidaung

Buthidaung, Arakan State – The Arakan Army (AA), which has controlled Buthidaung Township since May 18, 2024, has begun forcibly displacing Rohingya residents and dismantling their villages, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the region.

On February 20 and 21, the AA summoned the Rohingya residents of Gyi Naut Thee village, coercing them into leaving their homes and relocating to Nga Yant Chaung village. By the morning of February 21, approximately 200 AA members had begun dismantling the village, forcing its residents to move to the paddy fields west of Nga Yant Chaung village in northern Buthidaung.

A source reported, “The Rohingya homes were being dismantled, and their belongings were gathered in one place. All of these belongings were then transported to Taung Bazar in the Rakhine village, where they were distributed among Rakhines and Hindus. Meanwhile, the Rohingya residents were forcibly evicted from the village.”

The AA has started constructing an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in a restricted area west of Nga Yant Chaung village. Rohingya residents from Gyi Naut Thee, Dum Bai, Taung Bazar, and Nga Yant Chaung villages are being forced to take shelter in the camp, where they are expected to settle permanently under severe restrictions.

This forced displacement of Rohingya by the AA raises serious concerns about human rights violations and systematic ethnic persecution in Arakan State. While the AA initially portrayed itself as a pro-democracy force against Myanmar’s military junta, its treatment of the Rohingya community mirrors past patterns of oppression.

The international community must closely monitor these developments and hold the Arakan Army accountable for its actions against Rohingya civilians. Failure to intervene could result in further persecution and displacement of Rohingya communities in Arakan State.

Rohingya Vision News