Arakan News Agency
Arakan militias imposed a tight siege at dawn on Wednesday on the Shwe Zar village tract in Maungdaw Township, northern Arakan State, and threatened Rohingya residents with forced military recruitment, local sources said.
According to Maungdaw Daily News, around 100 militia members sealed off the area from early morning, blocking key access points including the Shwe Zar Bridge at the town entrance and the Shwe Zar–Kanain Chaung bridge to the north, effectively preventing Rohingya residents from entering or leaving. The forces then raided villages and forcibly took one person from each household to the local school.
Sources said field commanders arrived at the site around 9 a.m. accompanied by members of the village administration committee and local collaborators, including the township deputy administrator.
Residents were threatened and pressured to provide one person per family for recruitment, whether male or female, with warnings of harsh punitive measures against those who refused.
The Shwe Zar village tract comprises 13 villages. In the first phase, the militias demanded ten people from each village—more than 100 individuals in total—and warned they would return on January 8 to collect those listed.
The commanders reportedly said that if the required individuals were absent, family members would be arrested, and that families attempting to flee would be expelled from Arakan State.
Eyewitnesses said militia leaders issued explicit threats, claiming they “hold weapons and authority” and would use force to compel Rohingya to join. They also warned against sharing information with the media, threatening severe punishment for anyone who did so.
Rohingya residents expressed deep concern for their safety and human dignity, stressing that forced recruitment under threat of violence constitutes a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
Residents, along with local rights groups, called on the Arakan militias to immediately halt forced recruitment, lift the siege on the villages, and ensure the protection of civilians and respect for their fundamental rights.
The developments come amid the expanding control of Arakan militias in northern Arakan State following intensified conflict with Myanmar’s military.
Rohingya communities in Maungdaw continue to face fragile security and humanitarian conditions, compounded by the absence of effective protection mechanisms and ongoing targeting of civilians in conflict-affected areas.
