AA Denies Responsibility for Massacre of Over 600 Rohingya in Htan Shauk Kan

Arakan Now | 11 August 2025

The Arakan Army (AA) has denied responsibility for the massacre of more than 600 Rohingya civilians in Htan Shauk Kan village in Buthidaung on 2 May 2024. Survivors and rights groups say the victims included women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

AA spokesperson Khine Thu Kha said the bodies seen in photos shared by the Arakan Rohingya National Council (ARNC) were military soldiers, not villagers. He added that the village currently has 791 residents compared to 993 in 2017, with the decline due to people fleeing to Bangladesh, Yangon, and Malaysia.

When contacted by Arakan Now, ARNC co-chairman Nay San Lwin said:

“It is common for perpetrators to deny their crimes. They must be brought before a court with compelling evidence that compels them to confess. In the case of the Hoinya Seeri massacre, we have survivor testimonies, photographic evidence, and other materials directly linked to the atrocity. Our task is to ensure that the perpetrator, the Arakan Army, is brought before a criminal court. We must work tirelessly to achieve this. Their denials will not protect them from accountability. Justice must be served for the victims.”