Arakan Army Orders Displaced Rohingya to Leave Buthidaung Wards

Arakan Now — June 15, 2025

Arakan Army has ordered displaced Rohingya families living in Buthidaung township wards to leave immediately. They have been told they are no longer allowed to stay in the area.

The sudden order has caused fear and confusion among the residents.

“After losing everything and facing so much hardship, we somehow managed to resettle in the township,” a displaced man from Ward 1 told Arakan Now. “Now they are forcing us to leave again. We don’t know where to go.”

After Buthidaung town and many surrounding villages were burned during the recent conflict, thousands of Rohingya were forced to flee. Many took shelter in places like Sein Yin Pyin, Phone Nyo Lake, and other temporary camps.

A few months ago, the AA allowed some people to return to Buthidaung. But most of the original residents, especially those who escaped to Yangon or Bangladesh, have not been able to come back. Their homes remain empty.

In the meantime, people from nearby villages, mostly relatives of the original homeowners, moved into Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4 and tried to restart their lives.

Now, with this new order, even those families are being forced to leave again. Residents say they have nowhere else to go and are calling on authorities to stop the forced removals and allow them to stay in peace.