AA Forced Conscription Terrifies Rohingya Youth

For 22-year-old Rahim (name changed for safety), life in Maungdaw was already filled with uncertainty. Now, with the Arakan Army (AA) ordering mandatory military service for men and women over 18, his fears have only deepened.

“They say we must join, but we know they won’t treat us as real soldiers,” Rahim said, his voice heavy with worry. “They will make us carry supplies, dig trenches—work us like slaves.”

In villages across Kyauktaw, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw, Rohingya families are gripped by anxiety. Community leaders have been ordered to update household lists, a move many believe is meant to track down potential recruits. While Rakhine men joining the AA receive training and weapons, Rohingya youths like Rahim fear they will only be used for the hardest, most dangerous labor.

Those who have already been forced to work under the AA describe brutal conditions. One young man who fled to Bangladesh recalled, “They never saw us as soldiers—just as workers. We carried heavy loads, dug trenches, and cut trees. If we refused, they beat us.”

Many Rohingya youth are now facing an impossible choice: endure forced labor under the AA or risk their lives fleeing to Bangladesh. For Rahim and others like him, there is no safe path forward.

“We just want to live in peace,” he said. “But they won’t let us.”

As the AA moves closer to formalizing its conscription policy, the fate of countless young Rohingya remains uncertain. With little hope for justice, their only plea is for the world to listen before it is too late.

Rohingya Vision News