A new report by the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative exposes systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Arakan Army, including rape, forced conscription and village burnings, as part of a deliberate campaign to displace and subjugate Rohingya communities.
In a damning report released on 30 March 2026, the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative (ROHRIngya) has laid bare what it describes as the Arakan Army’s (AA) organised campaign of terror against the Rohingya people in Rakhine State, also known as Arakan.
Titled “The Siege of Arakan: Looking Inside Arakan Army’s Genocide Tactics Against Rohingyas”, the document draws on 48 detailed survivor testimonies collected between November 2024 and January 2025 from Rohingya men and women aged 15 to 58 now living in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. Researchers conducted interviews in the Rohingya language, adhering to strict ethical standards, to document violations that the report classifies as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), now control 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships amid ongoing fighting with Myanmar’s military junta. Far from protecting minorities as their “Way of Rakhita” ideology claims, the report alleges the AA has subjected Rohingya civilians – who have lived in the region for centuries – to a multi-pronged strategy of intimidation, exploitation and expulsion.
Movement Restrictions and Surveillance
One of the report’s central findings is the Arakan Army’s imposition of draconian movement controls designed to isolate and impoverish Rohingya communities. Checkpoints, curfews and mandatory “Tokkenza” travel passes issued by village authorities have become routine. Obtaining a pass often requires payment, while non-compliance can lead to arrest. Systematic screenings involve photographing residents and recording family details, further entrenching surveillance.
These restrictions have severed access to livelihoods, healthcare and humanitarian aid. Rohingya are frequently forced to relocate or live in segregated areas, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. The report highlights how such policies echo earlier phases of persecution but now occur under Arakan Army dominance rather than direct junta rule.
Targeted Violence
Violence has been both indiscriminate and calculated. In townships such as Buthidaung and Maungdaw, Arakan Army forces have carried out shelling, arson attacks and killings, frequently accusing Rohingya civilians of collaborating with the Myanmar military without evidence. Civilian infrastructure – including homes, mosques, schools, bridges and medical facilities – has been systematically destroyed through bombardment and fire.
The report documents patterns of village burnings and lootings that have left entire communities in ruins. Survivors describe being corralled while soldiers ransack houses, with property seized or destroyed. Ancestral lands, agricultural resources, cemeteries and personal belongings have been confiscated, compounding economic ruin. Communication blackouts, including the confiscation of SIM cards and disruption of internet services, have left Rohingya isolated from the outside world.
Rape as a Weapon and Forced Conscription
Sexual and gender-based violence emerges as a deliberate tool of terror. The report details harrowing accounts of rape against women and minor girls, often committed in the presence of family members to maximise humiliation and force flight. These assaults, the researchers conclude, aim to dismantle community cohesion and accelerate displacement.
Equally disturbing is the Arakan Army’s policy of forced conscription and abduction. Rohingya men and boys of all ages have been rounded up under pretexts of “questioning” or “operations”, then used as forced labour, porters or human shields in frontline fighting. Families frequently lose contact with loved ones, left in agonising uncertainty about their fate. Many survivors spoke of abductions during routine activities such as foraging or travel.
Hundreds of thousands have fled the violence, undertaking perilous sea journeys to neighbouring countries. Reports of deaths at sea, detentions and trafficking have become tragically common, separating families and scattering survivors across the region.
Denial and the Demand for Accountability
Despite overwhelming testimony, Arakan Army leadership – including Commander-in-Chief Twan Mrat Naing – has publicly denied abuses, sometimes acknowledging Rohingya historical presence while simultaneously labelling them outsiders. The report contrasts these statements with the group’s actions on the ground, arguing that propaganda serves to mask a sustained campaign of marginalisation.
The findings are situated within a longer history of Rohingya persecution, including the 1982 Citizenship Law, 2012 communal violence and the 2017 military-led genocide that drove more than one million into Bangladesh. The current phase, however, marks a new chapter in which the Arakan Army has assumed the role of primary perpetrator in areas under its control.
ROHRIngya concludes that the documented violations breach international humanitarian and human rights law. It urges the United Nations, International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to launch immediate investigations and hold perpetrators accountable. The organisation has launched a month-long social media campaign using hashtags #stopgenocide #stopviolence #stoprape #stopdiscrimination #stopforceconscription to amplify survivor voices.
As fighting continues in Rakhine State, the report serves as a stark reminder that Rohingya civilians remain trapped between warring factions, their safety and dignity under relentless assault. With hundreds of thousands already displaced and communities shattered, international inaction risks repeating the failures of the past, the report says.
