More than 200 homes belonging to Rohingya families in the Kyain Taing neighborhood of Maungdaw have been seized by the Arakan Army (AA), as the armed group continues its campaign of property confiscation across northern Arakan State.
According to local sources, the AA has accused these homeowners of alleged ties to the military council and has marked their properties with red signboards, effectively sealing them off. The move has left dozens of families homeless and has further deepened fears of targeted discrimination against the Rohingya population.
Targeted Seizures of Rohingya Properties
The affected properties include:
29 houses in Sittila village
179 houses in western, central, and southern Kyain Taing
Additional homes across Maungdaw town (exact number still under verification)
These recent confiscations follow a pattern of systematic Rohingya property seizures while properties belonging to the majority Rakhine population, even those with known ties to the military council, remain untouched.
Among those whose properties have been spared are:
Maung Maung Kyaw (owner of MK Shop)
Daw Khin Saw Wai (Ward 4)
Tun Hla Sein (Ward 1)
Maung Hla Phyu (Ward 3)
Ni Maung Chay (Ward 1) in Maungdaw town
A Broader Pattern of Displacement and Oppression
In August 2024, many of the affected residents had already been displaced following AA drone strikes during clashes in Maungdaw. Those who remained were later forcibly relocated under AA orders to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) zones in northern and southern Maungdaw.
A similar pattern has been observed in nearby Buthidaung, where key Rakhine businessmen with connections to gold trading and the Maha San festival group—such as Maung Shwe Thein, Maung Kalu, and U Tin Soe—have retained full control over their properties despite past collaborations with military authorities.
“A Strategy to Keep Rohingya Powerless”
Rohingya activists and local sources claim that these targeted confiscations are part of a broader strategy by the AA to erase the Rohingya presence in the region.
“This is not about justice or accountability—it’s about power,” a Rohingya activist told Rohingya Khobor. “The Arakan Army is selectively seizing Rohingya homes while protecting their own allies. Their goal is to ensure that our future generations grow up landless, dependent, and without dignity.”
The AA’s crackdown on Rohingya communities has intensified since it took control of Maungdaw in December 2024. The armed group has continued to impose severe restrictions on Rohingya movements, access to livelihoods, and basic services.
Reports from inside Maungdaw indicate that the situation remains precarious. Displaced families face heightened uncertainty as they are neither allowed to return nor provided with alternative shelter or compensation. Meanwhile, human rights groups have been unable to gain full access to Maungdaw to independently assess the scale of these property seizures.
Ongoing Oppression and Human Rights Violations
The latest property seizures add to a long list of documented abuses by the AA against the Rohingya population. Since seizing control over parts of northern Arakan State, the AA has:
Enforced movement restrictions, limiting Rohingya access to markets, medical care, and education.
Subjected Rohingya individuals to arbitrary arrests and forced labor.
Imposed discriminatory taxation on Rohingya businesses.
Conducted extrajudicial killings of those suspected of disloyalty.
Despite ongoing appeals from humanitarian organizations and human rights groups, the situation continues to deteriorate, with the AA showing no signs of easing its oppressive measures against the Rohingya population.
Calls for International Action
The international community has been slow to respond to the escalating crisis. Humanitarian groups warn that without urgent intervention, the systematic targeting of Rohingya properties and livelihoods will have irreversible consequences for the already marginalized community.
“The Arakan Army’s actions are part of a calculated effort to further entrench the disenfranchisement of the Rohingya,” said a human rights researcher. “The world must take a stand before it is too late.”
As the situation in Maungdaw and surrounding areas remains dire, displaced Rohingya families are left in limbo, with no clear path forward. Without international pressure, the cycle of displacement, dispossession, and oppression is likely to continue unchecked.
BOB Post
