AA Forcibly Conscript Rohingya Youth in Maungdaw

The Arakan Army (AA) has been forcibly abducting Rohingya youth from villages in Maungdaw District, tearing them away from their families and leaving their loved ones in a state of constant worry and despair. These young men, taken for militia training, have not been heard from since, plunging their families into uncertainty about their safety and future.

A heartbroken father from Ngant Chaung village shared, “My son was just 19 when they took him. Thirty boys from our village were taken on April 1, 2024. None of us have heard a word from them since. Every day, we wonder if they are alive or not.”

In Ket Yoe Pyin village, another mother tearfully recounted, “Eleven boys were taken from here on April 5, 2024. My son is among them. He used to dream of becoming a teacher, but now we don’t even know where he is.”

The pattern of abduction has affected countless families:
• In Nga Khu Ra, 20 youths were taken on May 8, 2023.
• In U Chin Cha, 27 boys were abducted on May 15, 2024.
• In Hla Tha and Hla Tha Auk, 18 and nine youths were forcibly conscripted on July 17, 2024.

The list goes on. In August 2024, smaller villages like Basupa, Gunnah, and Zing Thular also saw their young men disappear. Families across Maung Ni, Ka Yin Den, Rwa Thai Key Ward, and Shwe Zar villages have shared the same painful reality: their sons, brothers, and nephews were taken, and no one knows if they will ever return.

A resident from Buthidaung voiced what so many are feeling, “Hundreds of young Rohingya men have been taken. Their families are left to suffer in silence, not knowing if their children are alive or dead. Every knock at the door brings hope and fear.”

The anguish of the families grows each day as they continue waiting for news, hoping against all odds that their loved ones will come back.

Rohingya Vision News