Arakan News Agency
Local sources reported growing fear and alarm among residents of Kyin Taung village in Buthidaung Township, Arakan State, following the seizure of large areas of Rohingya farmland and cemeteries by Arakan militias (Buddhist separatists).
According to Maungdaw Daily News, the militias took control of over 120 acres of agricultural land and approximately 12 acres of cemetery grounds owned by Rohingya villagers, in what residents described as an illegal takeover.
Sources indicated that the seizures began in April 2025 and continue to this day. The confiscated lands include historical rice fields that the Rohingya have relied on for generations as a primary source of livelihood, as well as traditional cemeteries used for ancestral burials.
Local residents reported that the Rohingya have been barred from cultivating their confiscated lands, leaving many fields abandoned and unsuitable for farming. Meanwhile, the militias allow grazing of livestock on the seized lands in exchange for a fee of 10,000 Burmese kyat per animal.
Villagers emphasized that rice cultivation is the main source of income in Kyin Taung, and the seizure of farmland has caused a severe deterioration in livelihoods and a deepening economic crisis among the community.
The confiscation of cemeteries has also raised serious concerns among residents about their ability to conduct traditional funerary practices and protect their long-standing religious and cultural beliefs.
One local source told Arakan News Agency that the militias are illegally taking Rohingya ancestral lands to build new villages for the Rakhine ethnic group, accusing them of attempting to erase the presence and history of the Rohingya by destroying cultural heritage and leveling cemeteries and historical sites.
Rohingya communities in Arakan have faced years of policies restricting land ownership, with continued illegal seizures of farmland and traditional cemeteries.
Media reports document repeated cases of forced displacement, destruction of cultural heritage, and alteration of village landscapes to benefit other ethnic groups, further weakening the Rohingya and forcing them into constant struggles to preserve their rights and historical presence.
