An Arakan Army commander warned Rohingya leaders in Buthidaung that communities could be “wiped out” if evidence of massacres continues reaching the outside world
A senior commander of the Arakan army has threatened to wipe out Rohingya communities if they continue leaking evidence of atrocities to the outside world, according to a village administrator who attended a closed meeting in Buthidaung city.
On September 10, during a meeting with local administrators in the militia’s Administration Division 6, commanding officer Mg Saing Shwe warned against the flow of information, according to the Arakan News Agency, singling out the circulation of images from the Htan Shauk Kan massacre, where more than 600 Rohingya were reportedly killed in May 2024.
Because of your fake news spreading, cases for issuing arrest warrants against our generals are being tried to file. Don’t think of our generals… Even if a normal militia member suffers because of your news, we will not care. We will not think to wipe out all Muslims (Rohingyas), Mg Saing Shwe reportedly said.
He also accused Rohingya of using phones as weapons and threatened to confiscate even licensed devices officially registered with the militia. Residents said the militia enforces strict communication controls, requiring Rohingya to pay 300,000 MMK (US\$75) per month to register phones, while also mandating detailed reporting of calls. Unauthorized phone use has led to multiple detentions, they added.
The threats come as human rights groups and Rohingya activists push for international accountability for the Htan Shauk Kan massacre, after photos of skulls and skeletons were released earlier this year. The Arakan Rohingya National Council (ARNC) has accused the Arakan army of carrying out mass killings during their campaign against the Myanmar military.
Northern Arakan remains under near-total internet blackout, with residents relying on weak Bangladeshi cellular signals for limited voice communication. Under Arakan Army control, Rohingya face tight movement restrictions, property seizures, and forced displacement, compounding the crisis of persecution that began with the Myanmar military’s 2017 campaign of ethnic cleansing.
The Arakan army launched its offensive against the Myanmar military in November 2023, seizing control of 14 out of 17 townships. Rohingya communities, trapped in the conflict, have continued to suffer targeted violence and repression from both sides.
