Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group active in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, is subjecting the Rohingya population to serious human rights abuses including movement restrictions, forced labour, arbitrary arrests, and extortion, Human Rights Watch(HRW) said in a report published on Monday.
Despite pledging equitable governance after capturing territory from the Myanmar junta since renewed fighting broke out in November 2023, the Arakan Army has reportedly implemented discriminatory policies similar to those long imposed by the military regime.
“The Arakan Army is carrying out policies of oppression against the Rohingya similar to those long imposed by the Myanmar military,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “They should end these discriminatory practices and comply with international law.”
From April to July 2025, Human Rights Watch interviewed 12 Rohingya refugees who fled from Buthidaung township in northern Rakhine to Bangladesh. Witnesses described extreme restrictions on movement and livelihood, food shortages, and fear of arrest or abduction.
“We were not allowed to work, fish, farm, or even move without permission,” said a 62-year-old refugee who arrived in Bangladesh in June. “Most people were begging from one another to survive.”
Over 400,000 people have been displaced in Rakhine and Chin States since late 2023, with up to 200,000 fleeing to Bangladesh. The crackdown on livelihoods, forced recruitment, and targeting of children for military conscription has worsened the situation.
One man said he had to hide his 17-year-old son for two months to avoid forced recruitment. “When they couldn’t find my son, they detained and beat me for 35 days,” he said. “Eventually, they burned our house down. We had no choice but to flee.”
Other testimonies revealed unlawful forced labour, destruction of property including graveyards, and arrests of those suspected of links to the Myanmar military or the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). One 19-year-old man said he was used as a human shield by the Arakan Army after being abducted for labour.
“Their treatment of us was degrading,” he said. “They mocked us and called us slurs, saying we deserved the same treatment as from the Burman majority.”
The report also noted that both the Arakan Army and Rohingya armed groups profit from cross-border smuggling. Refugees said they had to pay up to 1.25 million kyat (around $595) per person to cross into Bangladesh. Since May 2024, Bangladesh has registered at least 120,000 new Rohingya arrivals, with many more remaining unregistered and without formal aid.
Human Rights Watch urged international donors and governments to increase pressure on the Arakan Army and support the Rohingya’s right to safety, whether in Myanmar or Bangladesh.
“The international community must do more to protect the Rohingya people and push for accountability,” said Pearson. “Conditions for voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation do not currently exist.”