A unit of the Arakan Army (AA) is being accused of looting and harassment while patrolling several villages in northern Maungdaw under the pretext of ensuring security, according to Rohingya shopkeepers and local residents who spoke to AEN News.
The reported incidents are occurring in Dar Gyi Zar, Thu U Lar, and Tharay Aok village tracts in northern Maungdaw Township. Residents say that the AA unit, while conducting security patrols, has been abusing and harassing Rohingya villagers.
“They come into our shops even during the day, grab whatever they want without paying, and just walk out. This has been happening almost daily recently,” said a local shopkeeper.
Another villager reported that people are regularly subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation while walking on the roads. “They shout things like, ‘This is not your country. If you don’t want to stay here, then leave.’ We live in fear of the AA coming every day,” the villager added.
Additionally, during nighttime hours, the same group of AA members has allegedly been breaking into shops in the same village tracts, openly looting them. One affected shopkeeper said, “Around 11 PM, I saw them breaking into the shop in front of my house. They broke the door, took what they wanted, and even destroyed some items. No one dares to say anything. And no one dares to report it anywhere.”
When some villagers appealed to AA’s appointed local administrator, Maamat Roshid, and Secretary Maamat Jawmal in Thu U Lar village for help regarding the looting and intimidation, they were told that Maamat Roshid himself had been slapped several times by AA officers. According to eyewitnesses, the administrator said some officers and soldiers in the AA had become aggressive while under the influence of alcohol and drugs and were responsible for the violent behavior. He admitted he had no authority to take any action and urged villagers to tolerate it.
Although ULA/AA claims to have full control over Maungdaw Township and is implementing administrative measures, on the ground, residents say ethnic and religious discrimination, intimidation, and targeted mistreatment are widespread. A former humanitarian worker in Maungdaw stated that discrimination based on ethnicity and religion is still common in many areas.
