Arakan News Agency
Officials in Shwe Zar village, Maungdaw Township, Arakan, conducted door-to-door visits to Rohingya homes to force them to sign pledges to attend a meeting related to military service.
Local sources reported that the meeting was held under the supervision of the village administration and under pressure from Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army). Each household head was required to provide a written pledge to ensure the participation of their family members, with warnings of strict action against those who failed to comply.
A resident said that officials warned attendance was mandatory, and if no male family member was available, women were required to attend instead, after many villagers had ignored previous meeting calls.
This move comes amid ongoing efforts by local militias to force Rohingya into military service, continuing policies previously implemented by past military governments in northern Arakan State targeting Rohingya leaders and political activists.
The region previously witnessed battles in 2024 between the Myanmar army and Arakan (Buddhist separatist) militias in Maungdaw and Buthidaung, resulting in the forced conscription of some Rohingya, the arrest, torture, and killing of others, as well as the burning and destruction of entire villages.
Local residents in the Lasa neighborhood and Shwe Zar village in Maungdaw reported that Buddhist Arakan militias (Arakan Army) compiled household records of Rohingya men and women, including those under 18, to forcibly conscript them into military service.
The militias continue to compel Rohingya into military service, representing a continuation of policies previously applied by past military governments in northern Arakan State against Rohingya leaders and political activists.
