Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Local sources have reported that the Arakan Army has imposed a condition on Rohingya fishermen in the town of Maungdaw in Arakan state to hand over half of their fish catch in return for a fishing permit in the Naf River, effective from August 1, 2025.
The decision came during a meeting held on Thursday, attended by more than 80 Rohingya fishermen from the villages “Shwezar,” “Kyaukhalaik,” and “Minglar Gyi.” A battalion leader in the Arakan Army named “Doli” informed them of the permit conditions, which include submitting personal data and a photograph through the village administration office one day before fishing.
According to the sources speaking to the “Arakan News Agency” “Doli” confirmed that the Arakan Army would not impose monthly or yearly taxes but would retain 50% of the daily fishing yield. Fishermen would also be subjected to inspections at designated points according to their areas, including military points in “Kanyin,” “Saiza,” and “Minglar Gyi.”
Local testimonies indicated that the Arakan Army also reduced the fishing area available to the Rohingya in the Naf River, as they can no longer fish beyond the “Rawengio” area. They warned against crossing the permitted boundaries, threatening strict legal actions, and asked fishermen to report immediately any activity suspected to be linked to militants, providing them with special phone numbers for this purpose.
Sources within the fisherman community asserted that the measures do not represent an organized tax system but rather a form of extortion and ethnic discrimination, forcing the Rohingya to share their livelihood without legal protection.
Representatives of the fishermen expressed hope that the Arakan Army leadership would conduct an internal investigation into these practices, which they described as “exploitative and racist.”
Since the Arakan Army’s takeover of Maungdaw town on December 8, it has continued its violations against the Rohingya, including closing their homes after malicious complaints, seizing them, confiscating their valuable properties, and displacing many families.
The army imposed strict restrictions on the Rohingya, prohibiting their movement between villages, following restrictions through a network of security checkpoints at entry and exit points of each Rohingya village, and imposing tolls on pedestrians and Rohingya motorcyclists for crossing bridges.
