Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
The Arakan Army (AA), a separatist group active in western Myanmar’s Arakan State, has been extorting monthly payments from Rohingya traders in the Kyauk Hla market in Maungdaw. The fees range from 100,000 to 200,000 Myanmar Kyat per month. The group faces mounting accusations of abusive practices, including forced labor and misuse of power against the Rohingya community.
According to local sources who spoke to Arakan News Agency, the market is administered by a man named Adu Razaok, in coordination with Maumat Siddique and Than Hlaing, the Secretary of the Sixth District. The three are accused of imposing financial levies exclusively on Rohingya-run shops, while exempting businesses operated by other ethnic groups.
The market reportedly contains around 300 shops, at least 240 of which are run by Rohingya traders. Several shops have already shut down due to financial hardship. Residents allege that market authorities treat the premises as private property under their control, rather than as a public commercial space.
The levies are charged based on business size and capital. Businesses with over 5 million Kyat in capital are forced to pay 200,000 Kyat monthly, while those with 2–5 million must pay 150,000 Kyat, and businesses with 1–2 million pay 100,000 Kyat. In addition, daily fees are also collected: 2,000 Kyat from larger shops, 1,000 Kyat from smaller shops, and between 500 and 1,000 Kyat from street vendors.
Traders report that those who refuse to pay are threatened with the closure of their shops and confiscation of their goods. With no legal protections or avenues for redress, most comply out of fear and coercion.
A resident from The Chaung village said the Rohingya in Maungdaw live in constant fear of arbitrary arrest, deportation, and oppression at the hands of the Arakan Army. He described a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and rights situation, where Rohingya are denied freedom of movement and are subjected to discrimination compared to other ethnic groups.
Since seizing control of Maungdaw on December 8, the Arakan Army has continued its violations against the Rohingya. These include charging high fees for cattle sold in temporary Eid al-Adha livestock markets, closing homes based on false accusations, confiscating valuable property, displacing families, and enforcing severe movement restrictions.
Movement between villages is tightly controlled through a network of checkpoints at every Rohingya village entrance and exit. Additionally, Rohingya motorcycle owners are now required to pay fees to cross a local bridge.
These ongoing abuses underscore the worsening plight of the Rohingya under Arakan Army authority and highlight the urgent need for international attention and intervention.
