AARA Weekly Situation Report
During the reporting period, Action Against Rohingya Atrocities (AARA) documented multiple serious abuses committed by the Arakan Army (AA) against Rohingya civilians in northern Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships, including landmine injuries, forced labour, forced removal of residential fences, extrajudicial killings, destruction of homes, arbitrary arrest, and the forced displacement of vulnerable civilians. These incidents reflect an escalating pattern of systematic abuse, intimidation, and collective punishment targeting the Rohingya population in Arakan State. AARA urges the international community to take immediate action to investigate these violations and protect Rohingya civilians from further atrocities.
1. Landmine Blast: Rohingya Fisherman Loses Leg at Bangladesh–Myanmar Border
Date of Incident: April 10, 2026
Location: Myanmar side of Naf River, opposite Balukhali (Bangladesh)
A 25-year-old Rohingya man, Mohammad Sadek (resident of Balukhali Refugee Camp, Camp No. 10), stepped on a landmine on the morning of April 10 while fishing on the Myanmar side of the Naf River. His left leg was blown off. He was first taken to the MSF Hospital in Kutupalong and then transferred to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where his condition remains critical.
BGB-64 Ukhiya Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Zahirul Islam confirmed the traumatic amputation and stated that border area residents have been urged to remain vigilant. Local sources report that the Arakan Army (AA) has planted landmines on the Myanmar side of the border, including on small islands, to prevent Rohingya armed group activities.
2. Forced Labour: Every Rohingya Village Ordered to Provide 50 Workers for Road Repair
Date of Order: April 1, 2026
Location: Kyi Kan Pyin–Nga Khura Road, Northern Maungdaw
On April 1, AA summoned village administrators and ordered that every Rohingya village under AA-controlled Area 6 provide 50 male laborers for three days of compulsory road repair. Workers must bring their own food and water, receive no wages, and are housed at the worksite. Households without a male to send must pay 50,000 kyats instead.
As of April 2, villagers from Paung Zar and other villages have been transported by AA trucks to the worksite. They report being verbally abused if they rest, and many go hungry. A Rohingya community member said:
“People cannot even eat two proper meals a day. This forced labour is like pushing the poor into the depths of hell.”
3. Removal of Compound Fences: AA Orders All Fences Down by April 10
Date of Order: April 3, 2026
Location: Area 3 Villages (Shwe Zay to Ngan Chaung), Northern Maungdaw
On April 3, AA ordered village administrators to remove all residential bamboo compound fences in nearly two dozen Rohingya villages by April 10. Villages include Shwe Zay, Paung Zay, Hla Baw Zay, Yeho Island, Kyi Gan Pyin, Pyin Phyu, Kyauk Hlet Kar, Hla Pho Gaung, Tha Yet Oke, Mingalar Gyi, Kyar Yoe Pyin, Kyauk Pyin Seik, Yat Nyo Taung, Thu U Lar, Hpat Wut Chaung, and Ngan Chaung.
Residents were warned that failure to comply would result in severe action. Local elders note that fences are essential for the dignity and safety of Muslim women and for home security. Removing them increases vulnerability and risks.
4. Murder of Two Rohingya Youths & Cover-Up: Parents Threatened, Bodies Exhumed
Date of Killings: March 26, 2026
Location: Abbhorja, Thayet Oke Village, Northern Maungdaw
On March 26, AA arrested two Rohingya youths fishing at a shrimp pond in Abbhorja, brutally slit their throats, and left their bodies. The bodies were found on April 1 and buried after Janazah rites.
On April 2 evening, AA summoned the victims’ parents and the village administrative body, threatened them with guns, and pressured them to blame ARSA for the killings. On April 3 morning, AA returned with a jury team, DLIT, and intelligence officers, repeating the threats: if villagers falsely claimed ARSA was responsible, they would be allowed to live peacefully; otherwise, their villages would be burned and they would be evicted. When the parents refused, they were forcibly taken away, forced to make video statements, and released only in the evening.
At midday on April 3, AA exhumed the two bodies from the Rohingya cemetery and removed them. AA is also pressuring all Rohingya administrators to issue a unified statement blaming ARSA.
Additionally, a local source reported that on March 27 at 7:00 PM, AA shot and killed two other Abbhorja residents, Mohammad Yunus (19) and Mohammad Salam (22), whose bodies drifted in a creek. AA did not allow villagers to retrieve or even approach the bodies. Those bodies have since disappeared.
5. Four Rohingya Youths Killed in Two Separate AA Incidents in Thayet Oke
Dates: March 26 & March 27, 2026
Location: Abbhorja, Thayet Oke Village, Maungdaw
Incident 1 (March 26): Two youths fishing at a shrimp pond were arrested, tortured, and their throats slit. Bodies found April 1.
Incident 2 (March 27, 7:00 PM): Mohammad Yunus (19) and Mohammad Salam (22) were fishing by boat in the Naf River when AA soldiers from the creek-mouth outpost shot at them, arrested them, and later killed them. Their bodies showed signs of severe torture: hands tied behind backs, mouths gagged, eyes blindfolded, throats slit, and stones tied to weigh them down in the creek.
AA claimed the two were carrying drugs to Bangladesh, but villagers insist they were ordinary fishermen supporting their families. A local elder told AARA:
“Even if they were carrying drugs, they should be prosecuted under the law, not extrajudicially slaughtered. Under what law does AA kill innocent civilians?”
6. AA-Started Bush Fire Destroys Four Abandoned Rohingya Homes in Zantula
Date: March 31, 2026
Location: Zantula Village, Myo U Ward, Maungdaw Town
On March 31 at around 4:00 PM, AA soldiers set fire to overgrown bushes in a vacant compound in Zantula Village, intending to cut down large trees left behind by displaced Rohingya. The fire spread to four nearby empty houses, burning them completely to the ground. AA soldiers also cut down and took away the large trees.
7. Teacher Arrested in Buthidaung; Young Rohingya Girls Flee by Boat to Malaysia
Date of Arrest: March 29, 2026
Location: Nasarpara Village, Thein Taung Village Tract, Buthidaung Township
On the night of March 29, AA soldiers arrested Maung Maung Soe (also known as Asad Ullah, age 34), a Rohingya teacher and son of U Shwe Yot Amot. His whereabouts remain unknown.
At the same time, security fears for Rohingya girls in Buthidaung are escalating. Many adult girls are leaving their homes and attempting dangerous boat journeys to Malaysia. Locals say the main reasons are fear of forced recruitment by AA and inability to pay financial demands imposed by AA. A resident stated:
“They are afraid. Their families are poor and cannot pay AA, so they flee. Even though boat travel is deadly, they feel they have no other choice.”
The situation in Buthidaung remains tense, with ongoing arrests and displacements.
Summary and Call to Action
During the week of March 30 – April 11, 2026, AARA has documented at least seven serious incidents perpetrated by the Arakan Army (AA) against Rohingya civilians in northern Maungdaw and Buthidaung, including:
- 1 landmine injury (critical condition)
- Forced labour affecting dozens of villages
- Forced removal of compound fences under threat of violence
- At least 4 extrajudicial killings (two incidents with two victims each)
- Exhumation and removal of victims’ bodies to cover up evidence
- Destruction of property (four homes burned)
- Arbitrary arrest of a teacher
- Mass flight of young girls due to fear of forced recruitment and extortion
AARA calls upon the international community, UN agencies, and human rights organizations to urgently investigate these crimes and take action to protect the Rohingya civilian population from further atrocities.
Report prepared by: Action Against Rohingya Atrocities (AARA)
For verification and media inquiries: contact@aara-documentary.org
Attachments: Photographs of each incident are appended to this report.
Publication Date: April 12, 2026
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