Arakan News Agency
Tensions and anxiety are sharply rising in Maungdaw township in Arakan State, amid local reports of a rapid deterioration in humanitarian and security conditions, according to residents.
Local sources said fear is spreading among the Rohingya community following forced recruitment campaigns and armed threats carried out by Arakan militias (Buddhist separatist).
According to the Maungdaw Daily News website, Arakan militias held a meeting earlier today with local elders and residents, during which they announced a plan to recruit civilians through three main channels.
The plan includes forcing between 10 and 15 people from each village, including married men and women, to join so-called Village Defense Forces (VDF) and undergo 15 days of military training to perform local security duties.
It also includes another training track under the name of “firefighting services” or “civil defense,” though no clear details have been provided, in addition to a third and most dangerous path involving direct combat recruitment.
This latter track targets unmarried young men and women for intensive military training before deploying them to the front lines.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that name registration has been completed in most neighborhoods of Maungdaw, with plans to forcibly transfer recruits to Buthidaung or other areas for training, before sending them as reinforcements to active battlefronts against the Myanmar military (ruling military council) in the areas of Kyaukphyu and Sittwe.
One Maungdaw resident told Arakan News Agency, “We fear being sent to the front lines. Death surrounds us from every direction, and fleeing to Bangladesh, despite the risks, has become the only remaining option for many families.”
The state of fear is not limited to the Rohingya community alone but has also affected residents from the Rakhine ethnic group, as many families search for safe routes to escape and avoid forced recruitment.
Name-collection campaigns have covered neighborhoods 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as the areas of Kain Tan, Myo Oo, and Latha.
Local sources reported that the city’s streets—especially the Clock Circle area, once bustling with activity—are now nearly deserted, as residents remain indoors out of fear of arrest or being taken to recruitment camps.
Arakan State has seen a growing surge in forced recruitment operations in recent months, carried out by armed actors amid ongoing fighting and the widening scope of military confrontations.
These practices have deepened humanitarian concerns and pushed many families toward internal displacement or considering flight outside the state, as residents continue to face movement restrictions, weak basic services, and worsening living conditions due to the prolonged conflict in Arakan.
