AA Forcibly Takes Rohingya to Work on Naf River

The Arakan Army (AA) has reportedly taken a group of Rohingya men, including elderly and displaced individuals, to an island in the Naf River under AA control, where they are being forced to work as laborers.

“Fifty Rohingya, including elderly men from the villages of Paung Zar and Hla Paw Zar in northern Maungdaw, were forcibly transported to Laldiya Island in the Naf River, on Myanmar’s side of the border. They were ordered to repair shrimp ponds,” a source reported.

According to witnesses, on the morning of October 23, armed members of the Arakan Army (AA) approached the administrators of Paung Zar and Hla Paw Zar villages. The AA ordered each village to provide 25 Rohingya men to work, with a deadline set for October 24. Those men were required to gather at a designated spot.

The AA also issued threats: families who refused to comply risked facing severe punishment or forced eviction from Arakan State.

Early on October 24, fifty men from the two villages, including the elderly, were taken to Laldiya Island, east of the Naf River, within Myanmar’s territory. They were reportedly subjected to strenuous work, repairing shrimp ponds, and were only provided with a single meal, served at lunch.

A resident revealed that the Arakan Army treats Rohingya under its control as if they are enslaved. “They do whatever they want with us. Those who refuse their orders are subjected to brutal torture in detention and, in some cases, even killed,” he said.

Rohingya Vision News