In northern Maungdaw Township’s Thu U Lar village, the village administrator of Arakan Army, Ma Ma T Raw Shit (aka Ma Ma T A Min), has been collecting illegal taxes from Rohingya families displaced by conflict, according to information provided by local residents to wsnews24.com.
Locals said that each Rohingya displaced person, many of whom are surviving only through hard labor, has been forced to pay 100,000 kyats illegally.
Rohingya IDPs, who have yet to return to their homes and are already struggling severely with food, shelter, and livelihoods, said that being forced to pay additional taxes has placed them under extreme hardship and fear.
Local Rohingya expressed serious concern that these AA-imposed taxes are worsening their living conditions, further harming prospects for peace and community development. They also appealed to senior AA leaders to address and resolve the issue.
