regime. On 14 May, a regime airstrike on a residential ward of Kyauktaw township killed six
civilians, including one Rohingya. 18 civilians were injured, four of whom were Rohingya.183
Indiscriminate attacks by the AA have also caused Rohingya civilian deaths and injuries. On 3
February, the AA launched artillery attacks from the direction of Ponnagyun township towards Sittwe.
The shelling killed one Rohingya civilian man and injured three other Rohingya men and three
women at Ohn Taw Gyi village.184
Use of landmines
Myanmar now has the highest number of people killed or maimed by landmines and explosive
remnants (UXO) of war in the world.185 Rakhine State is emblematic of the Myanmar-wide problem,
with a Rakhine media outlet reporting that 71 people have been killed or maimed by UXO in 2025.186
Both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army are reported to have laid landmines in Rakhine
State, including along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border fence in Maungdaw township. Rohingya
villages that were occupied by either party to the conflict are believed to be contaminated with
landmines and UXO, including peoples’ homes and compounds. In January, a 7-year-old Rohingya
boy lost his leg after stepping on a landmine near his home.187 At least two Rohingya men suffered
similar injuries in separate incidents in March and May.188 The limited medical facilities in the area
are not equipped to deal with such serious injuries, and Rohingya need to attempt the hazardous
crossing into Bangladesh to seek treatment.
Policies of persecution by the AA
BROUK has collected information about the Arakan Army’s highly discriminatory policies and
practices that are applied exclusively to the Rohingya on the grounds of their identity. These are
iterations of very similar policies and practices applied by the regime and amount to policies of
persecution. The AA’s conduct towards the Rohingya in the context of the famine is compounding
their already dire situation and undermining their chances of survival, forcing many Rohingya to flee.
Firstly, the AA is reported to have banned people from using the term “Rohingya” in the areas it
controls in Rakhine State. AA officials have verbally warned that those who disobey this rule will face
severe punishment.189 Secondly, the AA has imposed severe movement restrictions on Rohingya.
Rohingya must pay for a letter of recommendation for permission to travel from the AA/ULA
administration department. The permit is only valid for 7 days.190 Rohingya in Buthidaung and
Maungdaw townships are living under particularly tight restrictions, according to reports received by
BROUK.
In January, while many Rohingya were still internally displaced and corralled into areas designated by
the AA, BROUK received multiple reports of movement and other types of restrictions in Buthidaung
183BROUK reference ICJ11-OAC-SAC-AC-KTW-1. Myanmar Now, (15 May 2025) op. cit.
184 BROUK reference ICJ11-OAC-SIT-AA1.
185 ABC News (31 January 2025) op. cit.
186 DMG, ‘71 Victims of UXO this Year in Arakan State’ (12 May 2025) available at
<https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/71-victims-uxo-year-arakan-state> accessed 7 June 2025.
187 BROUK reference ICJ11-OAC-MDW-LM1.
188 BROUK references ICJ11-OAC-MDW-LM2, ICJ11-OAC-MDW-LM3.
189 BROUK reference ICJ11-OAC-AA-BUT-PP4.
190 This policy is applied in Pauktaw, Mrauk U, Minbya and Myebon as well as Rathedaung, Maungdaw and Buthidaung.
Information kindly supplied by Research consultant Kathy Win. According to information collected by BROUK, one
exception appears to be Kyauktaw township, where Rohingya do not currently face restrictions on their movement and are
able to access livelihoods and medical care. However, they face other restrictions under the AA. For example, Rohingya are
not allowed to sign any kind of contract in their own names. If a Rohingya person wants to create a contract, they have to do
it in the name of a local Rakhine person. Rohingya are not allowed to open shops in the market. They are also not allowed to
build a house or any kind of building without express permission from the AA authorities.
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