July 04, 2025
RHRC-Rohingya communities in Myanmar are facing a renewed surge of hardship and oppression. From economic collapse and military harassment in Arakan to violence, disappearances, and neglect in refugee camps, current incidents expose the deepening crisis affecting this vulnerable Rohingya population.
Rohingya Fisherman Dies After Fleeing Alleged Harassment
On June 27, 2025, Ebrahim, a 27-year-old Rohingya man from Nayapara Registered Camp, drowned while fishing in the Naf-river. Fishing in the Nar-river is officially banned to prevent drug smuggling from Myanmar. As the Bangladesh Border Security Forces chased him, he jumped into the river in panic and disappeared.
Current Crisis in AA Controlled Arakan Worsens Livelihoods
In territories governed by the Arakan Army (AA) and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), residents are trapped in a crippling financial crisis. Despite remaining legal tender, 50, 100, and 200 kyat notes are now widely refused in local markets, rendering the money practically worthless.
Poor communities who depend on these low denominations for daily essentials are disproportionately affected. A shopkeeper lamented, “You can’t even buy a packet of salt with 100 kyats anymore.”
The underlying issues include hyperinflation, a dysfunctional banking system, and lack of severe cash. Despite ULA promises to “investigate,” locals report no regulation or accountability. In the absence of financial oversight, small vendors and low earning families are left devastated in a collapsing local economy.
AA Members Loot and Threaten Rohingya in Maungdaw
In the northern Maungdaw Township villages of Dahgyi Zah, Thu Oohla, and Thayet, Arakan Army is accused of escalating abuse against Rohingya civilians. Residents say AA troops raid their shops and homes under the guise of “security patrols,” seizing goods and issuing threats.
“They come into our shops in broad daylight, take whatever they want without paying,” said a Rohingya shopkeeper. “We live in fear, especially at night when they break in and steal.”
One shopkeeper recounted a night raid that “They damaged my door, stole goods, and left everything destroyed.”
Even village administrators like Mamad Rawshed admit helplessness. “He told us to tolerate it because he himself gets beaten when he complains,” a villager shared. Locals describe AA rule as oppressive and biased, with no justice or protection for Rohingya minorities.
10-Year-Old Rohingya Child Missing in Nayapara Camp
Md. Azis is a 10 year old boy from the Nayapara registered camp, who has been missing since June 26. According to witnesses, he is believed to have been abducted by a neighbor. Despite the community’s desperate efforts, there has been no sign of the child for 10 days.
His family has made repeated appeals for help, but fear and silence persist in the camp, where similar incidents of trafficking and abduction have occurred with limited legal recourse.
Therefore, the pattern of harassment, discrimination, and neglect across both Myanmar and in the camp territories underscores a disturbing reality. Rohingya communities continue to face layered persecution without protection, justice and recognition. From economic suffocation to physical violence and religious repression, urgent international attention and intervention are essential.
