Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Local sources stated that Arakan Army AA had settled more than 200 Rakhine families in Rohingya villages in Buthidaung that were forcibly emptied of its residents.
In Shabbazaar Rohingya village, AA has already resettled 135 Rakhine families, while another 80 families were moved into Taungminkhaung Rohingya village last week, Arakan News Agency ANA reporter said.
The Rakhine families were brought from Thandwe and Sittwe townships last month to a near displacement camp, and now they were permanently settled in Rohingya villages. Additionally, AA is reportedly planning to bring in Bengali Rakhine communities from Bangladesh to occupy 40 Rohingya villages in Buthidaung.
Due to these actions, local Rohingya communities say they have no choice but to flee to Bangladesh. Local Rohingya residents are preparing to flee to Bangladesh, according to sources.
Shabbazaar is now completely empty of Rohingya residents. More than 1,000 Rohingya families lived there before the Myanmar military launched a genocidal campaign against them in 2017. Two-thirds of the population fled due to atrocities and violations, while the remaining third were expelled after AA took control of the town, causing large numbers of Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
The Arakan Army has been forcibly displacing Rohingya from their homes and villages in Buthidaung, forcing them to live in rice paddies and open areas. Forced displacement has occurred in at least 35 villages, forcing more Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.
The Arakan Army launched a military campaign in November 2023 to seize control of the state, now controlling more than 80% of it. Scores of Rohingya have been forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh to escape the Arakan Army’s abuses and its conflict with the Myanmar military, with the Rohingya caught in the crossfire. They find themselves targeted by violence, displacement, and forced conscription from both sides.
