Arakan Army Using Forced Labor and Seizing Rohingya Rorest Timber in Maungdaw Township

Arakan Now - 21 May 2025

Rohingya villagers from Pyin Hpyu (Naymyay 6) and nearby areas are being forced by the Arakan Army (AA) to work on road construction near the AA base in Kyee Kanpyin village, Maungdaw Township.

Residents from four Maungdaw’s villages, Hla Baw Zaar, Paung Zaar, Mingala Gyi and Kyauk Hlay Khar, say that AA ordered each household to send one person for labor. The work includes breaking stones, carrying gravel, and paving roads. Villagers work from 7 AM to 5 PM in the heat.

This forced labor started around February 15, 2025. Village leaders are enforcing it under AA’s orders. Families without adult men are reportedly pressured to send underage boys.

The system runs in turns among the villages. Those who refuse to join face fines between 20,000 and 50,000 kyats.

“We bring our own food and water,” said one villager. “If we take a short break, they shout at us. Some are even forced to stay awake at night to stand guard.”

Using children under 18 for labor breaks international laws, including ILO Convention 182. A rights observer said this harms the children and disrupts their education.

Locals also report that AA is cutting down trees from Rohingya-owned forests in northern Maungdaw and selling the wood. Affected villages include Kyee Kanpyin, Wa Peik, Hpar Wet Chaung, Myaw Taung, and Nwar Yon Taung.

Villagers reported that they are under strict control. Travel between villages is not allowed without AA permission. Hosting guests is also banned unless approved. AA demands that locals report any ARSA activity.

“We are living in fear,” said a resident. “They treat us like we don’t matter.”