Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
The Arakan Army (AA), is facing accusations of coercing residents of Thein Taung village, near Htan Shauk Kan in Buthidaung Township, northern Arakan State, to falsely blame the Myanmar military for a mass killing that claimed the lives of about 600 Rohingya on May 2, 2024.
Local reports state that recently surfaced photos of the massacre showed extensive destruction and evidence of mass killings. The AA allegedly forced survivors to record video statements and sign documents under pressure, while removing skeletons and burning bodies to destroy evidence.
Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin, co-chair of the Arakan Rohingya National Council (ARNC), said the Arakan Army is attempting to cover up the crime by removing skeletal remains and burning corpses. He added that villagers were coerced into signing statements and recording video confessions under duress.
Speaking to Arakan News Agency, he described the AA as a “criminal group” trying to conceal its crimes by forcing villagers to accuse the Myanmar military of committing the massacre, and filming these statements for its own use.
Human rights groups and independent investigators have called for an urgent international inquiry, warning of the risk of losing crucial evidence and silencing witnesses due to the ongoing pressure from the armed group.
Under Arakan Army control, Rohingya have suffered widespread abuses, including home closures based on false complaints, property seizures, theft of valuables, forced displacement of many families, and strict restrictions on movement between villages enforced through a network of security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of every Rohingya village.
The Arakan Army launched a military offensive in November 2023 against the Myanmar military to seize control of the state, capturing 14 out of 17 towns. The conflict has engulfed the Rohingya, who have faced violence, forced displacement, and persecution from both sides following the 2017 “genocide” campaign by the Myanmar military that drove nearly one million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
