July 23, 2025
RHRC-While global attention fades, the Rohingya people continue to endure layers of repression, discrimination, and exploitation especially in Arakan State, where the Arakan Army (AA) tightens its control. From forced levies to mysterious deaths, the Rohingya in Maungdaw and Buthidaung now face a worsening reality that contradicts the pledges of revolution. The ensuing developments punctuate the critical need for transnational scrutiny.
Five Rohingya Bodies Discovered Near AA Camp
In a chilling discovery on July 19, fishers set up five Rohingya bodies floating near the AA’s Chaung Wa camp. Three were manly, one lady, and one unidentified. All were set up between Shwe Zar and Paung Zar townlets. The deaths follow a failed July 17 attempt by three Rohingya families to cross into Bangladesh. Turned back by both Bangladesh and Myanmar border guards, the boat reportedly overturned. Still, whether they drowned naturally or were attacked remains unclear. The AA’s presence in the area raises serious concerns, especially as original residents claim the group constantly apprehends and harasses those trying to flee the ongoing conflict.
Monthly House Tax Imposed on Rohingya in Maungdaw
On July 19, AA/ ULA officers began administering an obligatory house duty on Rohingya families in Maungdaw. Residents report that freight rates range from 5,000 kyats for small shanties to as much as 50,000 kyats for proper houses. The penalty for remittance is severe pitfalls of legal action and further targeting. “ Indeed the Burmese government did n’t do this to us, ” said a village elder. “ We’re being squeezed from all sides. This feels like living under a fascist governance. ” Despite imprinting itself as an emancipation force, the AA decreasingly resembles a ruling power administering authoritarian control, limiting movement, collecting freights, and repressing dissent, especially among the formerly marginalized Rohingya.
AA Seizes Building for Exclusive Rohingya Only Court
The AA has dislocated its controversial Rohingya jury to Ruby House, a seized three story structure in Maungdaw. Established in May, this jury led by Maulvi Mogsaud and Muhammad Sawalim now oversees serious cases involving Rohingya.
Still, reports indicate a growing abuse of power. Judges demand 500,000 kyats for minor cases and up to 2 million for serious ones. With no legal variant and only two numbers allowed to issue verdicts, numerous believe the system is designed further for highway robbery than justice. Village position authorities handle minor conflicts, but any significant case is forcefully escalated to this AA- run court, where opinions are financially weaponized against a formerly vulnerable population.
Abduction for Ransom in Cox’s Bazar Grim Cross Border Pattern
Indeed in exile, Rohingya remain unsafe. On July 19, two Rohingya men from Camp 14 Mohammed Anos and Abdullah were kidnapped on their way to work. Pretending to be officers, the abductors detained them for lacking CIC permits and demanded 400,000 Taka for their release. The families managed to free them with half the sum, but both men were oppressively beaten and are now rehabilitated under MSF care. “ They said they were from the government, ” a family member said. “ But they were thugs in disguise. ” This incident adds to the rising pattern of abducting, fake authority, and lawlessness in and around the exile camps.
Four Shopkeepers Arrested, Accused Without Evidence
In Buthidaung, the AA arrested four Rohingya shopkeepers on July 14, professing that they vended inventories to ARSA. Villagers contend the claims are unwarranted. “ We sell to whoever comes to our shop. We do n’t know who they are, ” said one occupant.
Locals condemned the apprehensions as part of a broader crusade of highway robbery, misinformation, and fear. Reports from the area include forced labor, youth reclamation, mass relegation, starvation, and growing surveillance.
“The people are suffering,” said one substantiation. “They carry children on their backs, fleeing violence again and again. There’s no rest. ”
While the world looks away, the Rohingya in Arakan face new forms of persecution from fiscal exploitation to mysterious deaths and methodical suppression. The Arakan Army’s transformation from a revolutionary group into a rough force risks making the dream of emancipation a nightmare for those who believed in change. As this suppression grows, the call for global attention becomes ever more critical. Without responsibility, the cycle of suffering will only deepen.
