May 6, 2025
Six Rohingya fishermen vanish near AA checkpoint in Naf River.
RHRC-Six Rohingya fishermen from Magalagi village in northern Maungdaw Township have gone missing near the Ywanyo checkpoint while fishing in the Nat River with permission from the Arakan Army (AA). The missing people are Anatul Rahman (28), Robbie Alam (17), Zawhir Ahmed, Aman (26), Maulavi Kasim (50), Atiyas (50), son of Faisal, and others whose names are yet to be ascertained. The six men reportedly set out to fish in the river with permission from the AA checkpoint in Magalagi township at around 6pm on April 30. Their families expected them to return the next morning, but they did not return home until late the next day.
On the morning of May 2, family members and local residents reported to the AA checkpoint. The AA allowed them to search beyond the boundary fence in the Nat River. They searched the river and surrounding areas, but did not find the missing people except their boats and fishing equipment were found near the AA checkpoint outside the border fence west of Ywa Nyo village.
RAB arrested 35 Rohingyas in Patenga while entering Chattogram
On the morning of May 3, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained 35 Rohingya, including women and children, from the Khejurtala Beribadh area in Patenga. RAB-7 Senior Assistant Director ARM Mozaffar Hossain confirmed the matter to The Business Standard and said that they had received information about a group of Rohingyas trying to enter the city from Myanmar through the Patenga Ghat by boat. However, some of the arrested Rohingyas claimed that they had paid Ks2,000 each to a broker to facilitate their entry into Chattogram from Myanmar.
Suicide in Camp Sittwe
A tragic incident unfolded in the John Dawgyi North camp in Sittwe on April 20, when a desperate Rohingya father consumed poison, followed by his wife, son, and daughter. The father died, while the others survived after emergency care. The family had been suffering from extreme hunger and had not received food aid in March. Community members blame the worsening food crisis for rising mental health issues and suicidal tendencies in the camps.
Landmine injury in Maungdaw villages
On May 1, a 16-year-old boy named Mamat Ayas from Paung Zar village in Maungdaw Township lost his leg after stepping on a landmine near the western fence of the village while fishing. He is currently receiving treatment at a local clinic, but his family lacks the funds to transfer him to a proper hospital. The case highlights the continued threat of unexploded mines in Rohingya areas and the lack of medical resources for the injured.
Arakan Army Abuse in U Shay Kya Village
The Arakan Army reportedly arrested and tortured five villagers, including a 12-year-old boy, in U Shay Kya (Burashidar Fara) village. Locals said that men, women, and children were forced into a paddy field, beaten, and held under the hot sun from morning to evening. The detainees were reportedly staying overnight near a prawn dam when they were taken. These incidents have increased fear and anxiety in already-vulnerable Rohingya communities.
Therefore, these incidents highlight the worsening humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya community across Rakhine State and beyond. From such horrific disappearances and harsh treatment by armed groups to landmine injuries, mass arrests, and suicide attempts driven by hunger, Rohingyas continue to suffer amid neglect and violence.
