Arakan Army Detains Rohingya Returnees to Maungdaw and Rapes Women, Former Detainees Say
- Arakan Now
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
Arakan Now | 22 February 2026
The Arakan Army (AA) detained 22 Rohingya families who returned to Maungdaw Township from refugee camps in Bangladesh and held them for three months, according to interviews conducted by Arakan Now with several former detainees.
The families, totaling around 100 people, including women and children, are from the villages of Pyan Taw Pyin (four families), Shwe Zar (17 families), and Nyaung Chaung (one family). Those interviewed said that several women were raped and physically assaulted during their detention.
Due to security concerns, all interviewees requested anonymity.
The families fled to Bangladesh in 2024 following fighting between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army and lived in refugee camps there for approximately 10 months.
One former detainee said they contacted their village chairman before returning to Maungdaw to seek permission to go back to their village. The chairman reportedly requested identification documents, which were then submitted to the Arakan Army for approval.
“After the Arakan Army approved our request, we returned to Maungdaw from a refugee camp in Bangladesh on 8 June 2025, two days after Eid al-Adha,” the former detainee said.
According to the interviewee, the group stayed in their village for one day before being summoned to an Arakan Army camp in Alay Than Kyaw NayMay 7 for questioning. They were later transferred to a detention facility in Maungdaw town and brought before a court three days later.
“After 15 days, the court sentenced us to three months in prison, including women and children, accusing us of illegally crossing the border,” the interviewee said.
The former detainee further said that men and women were held separately and were not allowed to meet. The men were subjected to harsh treatment and torture and were forced to work throughout the day while receiving insufficient food.
The interviewee also said that women were raped and physically assaulted during detention.
“Later, the Arakan Army took 20 lakhs MMK from each person. Some detainees were released after 45 days and others after 90 days, and were sent back to Bangladesh directly by boat operated by the Arakan Army. We were also threatened not to speak to anyone,” the former detainees said.
These testimonies underscore the vulnerability of Rohingya returnees in areas controlled by the Arakan Army.
