Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Four members of the Arakan Army (AA) from the Chaung Wa station in Mingalargyi village carried out a violent robbery at a Rohingya-owned grocery shop in Kyawt Hlaygar village, Maungdaw Township, on Tuesday, July 1.
According to eyewitnesses, after looting the shop, the AA soldiers assaulted every Rohingya person they encountered on the streets, including several children. One villager, who requested anonymity for security reasons, reported that the soldiers used the racial slur “Kalar” while attacking the victims.
Local sources said the AA soldiers stormed into the shop, seized groceries worth around 30,000 Kyat including eggs and told the shopkeeper that they would pay the next day. However, witnesses noted that this tactic has been used repeatedly in the past, with AA members regularly taking goods from Rohingya-owned shops under false promises of payment, then disappearing without settling their debts.
In addition to stealing groceries, the soldiers reportedly used slingshots to shoot at chickens along the road, capturing five chickens as they left the area.
Maungdaw Township has been without internet access for nearly a year and has remained under the control of the Arakan Army since late 2024. The AA has been engaged in ongoing military operations against the Myanmar junta since November 2023, with the conflict causing increasing suffering for the Rohingya population in the region.
Since the Arakan Army (AA) took control of Maungdaw Township on December 8 last year, it has continued its violations against the Rohingya community. These include forcibly closing their homes following false complaints, seizing their properties, and displacing many families.
The AA has imposed strict movement restrictions on the Rohingya, banning them from traveling between villages. This has been enforced through a network of security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of every Rohingya village. Additionally, the AA has imposed fees on pedestrians and Rohingya motorcycle owners in exchange for allowing them to cross local bridges.
The Arakan Army launched a military offensive in November 2023 against the Myanmar military junta to gain control over the state. The AA has since captured 14 out of 17 townships. However, the conflict has heavily affected the Rohingya, who have faced violence, forced displacement, and persecution from both sides. This comes after they were previously subjected to a “genocidal campaign” by the Myanmar military in 2017, which forced nearly one million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
