Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
The Arakan Army, a separatist group, has seized farmlands, forests, and shrimp ponds owned by Rohingya residents in Maungdaw, Arakan State, western Myanmar, and has employed ethnic Rakhine laborers to cultivate them, according to local sources.
Residents of Buthidaung town reported that the Arakan Army expelled Rohingya residents from around 40 villages under the pretext of “security,” then resettled Rakhine families in those areas. The settlers were provided with seeds, agricultural machinery, food, and clothing to begin farming and livestock breeding.
They told Arakan News Agency that the use of Rohingya land by the Rakhine is viewed as a covert tactic to fuel animosity between the two ethnic groups raising fears that it is part of a broader plan to incite long-term ethnic conflict.
One resident of Buthidaung said that Rohingya people are not even allowed to approach their own villages or lands. They are living in extreme poverty and hunger, while Rakhine, Chin, and Mro settlers receive jobs and services.
A Rohingya woman confirmed that Rohingya are prohibited from entering urban areas to earn a livelihood, suffer from seasonal illnesses without access to treatment, and are subjected to extortion campaigns, arbitrary arrests, and torture.
Sources also stated that the Arakan Army is cutting down trees from Rohingya-owned forests and transporting the timber to Bangladesh. It is also seizing shrimp ponds. When original owners demand their rights, they are accused of being affiliated with the “ARSA” group a tactic used to intimidate them and prevent any attempt to reclaim their property.
Since taking control of most of Arakan State, the Arakan Army has imposed multiple violations against the Rohingya, including home closures and seizures, confiscation of valuable belongings, and mass displacement of families.
Strict restrictions have also been imposed on Rohingya mobility between villages, with a network of security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of every Rohingya village. The AA has even started charging tolls to pedestrians and motorcycle owners among the Rohingya for crossing bridges.
The Arakan Army launched a military campaign against the Myanmar military in November 2023, successfully taking control of 14 out of 17 towns in the state. The conflict has severely impacted the Rohingya, who have suffered from violence, forced displacement, and persecution by both sides. This comes in addition to the genocidal campaign by the Myanmar military in 2017, which forced nearly one million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
