Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Local sources in Buthidaung, Arakan State, western Myanmar, reported that the Arakan Army has converted a mosque in U Hla Phay village into a military office, with a small detention center inside.
The sources told Arakan News Agency that the regional officer of the Arakan Army is operating from inside the mosque on a permanent basis a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
In a related development, Rohingya Labs issued a statement on June 29, stating that the Arakan Army had also seized four other mosques in Ywet Nyo Taung village, in the same township, and is currently using them as recruitment centers for new fighters.
Mohammad Solim, director of Rohingya Labs, said the actions constitute a deliberate desecration of holy sites, with reports of men and women staying inside the mosques, drinking alcohol, and holding parties.
He added that mosques for the Rohingya are among the most sacred symbols of identity and worship, often better maintained than people’s homes which heightens the severity of turning them into military facilities.
Solim explained that such practices are blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocol I of 1977 (Article 53), as well as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, which prohibits the use of religious buildings for military purposes or their exploitation during armed conflict.
It is worth noting that the targeted mosque is located in Ward 3 of Buthidaung town and was later burned down by the Arakan Army.
Previously, the Arakan Army had taken over four abandoned mosques, formerly used by Rohingya Muslims for worship, and converted them into recruitment centers in Ywet Nyo Taung village in Buthidaung.
The Rohingya population under Arakan Army control has faced widespread violations, including home closures based on false reports, property seizures, forced displacement of many families, and strict movement restrictions between villages enforced through a network of security checkpoints at every Rohingya village entrance and exit.
The Arakan Army launched a military campaign in November 2023 against Myanmar’s military to take control of the state, successfully capturing 14 out of 17 townships. The conflict has severely impacted the Rohingya, who have faced violence, forced displacement, and persecution from both sides adding to their suffering since the 2017 “genocide” by the Myanmar military, which forced nearly a million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
