Arakan News Agency
Local residents reported that the Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army) have collected military conscription lists from Rohingya residents in the Ywar Htit Kay Quarter of Maungdaw Town in Arakan State.
Sources, as reported by Maungdaw Daily News, said that militia members arrived in the quarter around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and ordered each household to send one representative to register their name for military conscription. After recording the names, the militia returned the household registration documents to the owners and left the area.
The militia reportedly informed residents that those listed would be selected through a “lottery” system. Those chosen would be sent for military training—15 days for married men and 45 days for unmarried men.
Local residents accused the Buddhist separatist Arakan militias of unfair selection practices, noting that those able to pay money are excluded from the lists, while poorer residents are chosen. They added that the “lottery” is not conducted publicly, and conscription decisions are based on the financial situation of the families.
The Arakan militias continue to collect conscription lists in Wards (1), (2), (4), and (5) and Kayin Htan Quarter in Maungdaw, with the process expected to extend later to Latha and Myo Oo quarters before moving on to surrounding villages without exception.
Previously, the Arakan militias ordered all Rohingya families in Ward 2 of Maungdaw to submit their household lists to the district administration office, setting Saturday as the deadline for submission.
Abuses by the Buddhist separatist Arakan militias continue, as they recently forced dozens of Rohingya residents to flee toward Bangladesh after issuing threats and eviction orders in several Maungdaw villages. They also pressured the Rohingya to comply with military conscription, threatening deportation to Bangladesh for those who refused.
Furthermore, violations against the Rohingya escalated in the northern parts of the town, with militia members repeatedly raiding villages, seizing goods from shops without payment, and physically assaulting residents on the streets.
The Arakan militias launched a military campaign in November 2023 against the Myanmar Army to seize control of the state, successfully taking control of 14 out of 17 towns. The conflict has severely affected the Rohingya, who have suffered violence, forced displacement, and persecution from both sides, following the 2017 Myanmar Army “genocide” campaign that forced nearly a million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
