A report by Human Rights Watch revealed that the Buddhist “Arakan Army” committed a horrific “new massacre” that claimed the lives of at least 170 Rohingya civilians, including 90 children, and injured hundreds more in the village of “Hoyar Seri” in northern Arakan State, Myanmar, amid unofficial estimates that the actual death toll could reach 500.
The report, based on the testimonies of 41 eyewitnesses, satellite imagery analysis, and forensic photographs, explained that Arakan Army militants deliberately opened fire from very close range on lines of unarmed civilians attempting to flee the ongoing fighting with the Myanmar military.
The gunfire left bodies scattered across fields and trenches, at a time when the government army committed parallel violations by forcibly conscripting Rohingya and using them as “human shields.”
The organization monitored a continuous series of violations against survivors, as the Buddhist “Arakan Army” completely burned down and leveled a village to prevent residents from returning, forcibly detained survivors in a makeshift camp under its control called “Nasur Para,” deprived them of food and medical care, and subjected them to forced labor and child conscription.
Human Rights Watch emphasized that the current conditions in Arakan State are absolutely unsafe for the return of refugees, who are also facing restrictions in Bangladesh.
The organization also called on the international community and donors to leverage the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council to immediately pressure the warring parties, stop the abuses, and facilitate independent international investigations to ensure perpetrators are prosecuted and referred to the International Criminal Court.
The “Arakan Army” has been fighting an armed conflict against the “Myanmar Army” in Arakan State for years, with clashes escalating since late 2023.
The group has managed to assert control over dozens of towns and military camps in Arakan, while the military junta’s influence has retreated in most areas of the state, amid mounting accusations against the group of committing grave violations against Rohingya civilians, especially in northern Arakan areas such as Maungdaw and Buthidaung.
