Rakhine State Tensions Intensify Amid Accusations of Genocide, Misinformation, and Post-Coup Political Drama

Report By Rohingya Cultural Advocacy Centre;

23- November-2025.

Rakhine State, Myanmar, Tensions continue to rise in western Myanmar as new allegations emerge against both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA). Despite claiming oppression under military rule, the AA has expanded its operations and political influence since the 2021 military coup, raising concerns among Rohingya rights advocates and analysts about a coordinated campaign of misinformation and violence.

Following the coup, the AA publicly framed itself as neutral, avoiding direct confrontation with the junta while quietly strengthening its administrative and military networks across Rakhine State. Analysts and community members describe this posture as a calculated “political drama” designed to gain international sympathy, expand territorial control, and position the group as a decisive power broker. While presenting itself as a victim of the military, the AA simultaneously negotiated territorial advantages and increased influence.

Arakan Army Accused of Genocidal Attacks on Rohingya After Seizing Maungdaw town.

Maungdaw, Township Rakhine State, On 05 August 2024:

Fresh violence erupted in northern Rakhine State after the Arakan Army (AA) seized full control of Maungdaw town Sidda Para Rohingya village, on 5 August, forcing Myanmar military forces to flee. Within hours of the takeover, AA launched a series of coordinated assaults on Rohingya Muslims, killing hundreds and displacing tens of thousands in what survivors describe as a “genocidal operation.”

According to field investigators and eyewitness testimonies, Myanmar’s military withdrew from Maungdaw town at around 3:20 a.m. on August 5. By the afternoon, AA forces had surrounded the town and began drone attacks and shelling on Rohingya villages across Maungdaw Township.

At 3:50 p.m., AA fighters opened fire on displaced Rohingya inside Maungdaw town and carried out aerial attacks using drones. At least 130 people were killed on the spot while attempting to flee, witnesses said. Homes were set ablaze and thousands were forced out of the town at gunpoint.

By late afternoon, approximately 35,000 Rohingya were fleeing toward the Naf River, hoping to cross into Bangladesh. When around 1,000 civilians attempted to cross barbed- wire fences near Fezi Para, AA drones struck again. The attack, occurring at roughly 5:30 p.m., killed 300 people, including many children. More than 410 others were critically injured.

Survivors said drones continued to fire on them as they ran, leaving bodies scattered along escape routes.

Many dead and injured could not be recovered due to repeated strikes.Deadly Attack on Rohingya Escaping by Boat, At 6:30 p.m., AA drones reportedly targeted Rohingya who were fleeing by small dinghy boats across the Naf River. Eighteen people were killed in the attack; only two survivors were later found.

Mass Arrests and Looting on 7 August

Two days later, on 7 August, AA fighters rounded up nearly 10,000 Rohingya hiding along the riverbank. Witnesses report that AA seized mobile phones, looted gold and valuables, and detained families in makeshift sites. When several detainees attempted to escape, AA responded with drone strikes, killing 50 Rohingya.

At 8:00 p.m., another drone strike hit China Patty in Maungdaw, town which village near by Myanmar riverbank killing 100 people and injuring at least 60.

Joint Pattern of Abuse by AA and Myanmar Military.Despite withdrawing earlier on August 5, Myanmar military boats continued patrolling the Naf River, blocking Rohingya from crossing into Bangladesh.

On 8 August, the military carried out an air strike on a Rohingya home in Ali Para, Maungdaw town, killing 15 members of one family.

Rights observers say the strike appeared designed to portray the junta as “fighting AA,” while in reality placing Rohingya civilians directly in harm’s way.

The attacks took place despite the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures requiring Myanmar to protect Rohingya civilians from genocide.

Human Traffickers Exploit Survivors Fleeing to Bangladesh, More than 12,000 Rohingya managed to cross into Bangladesh since 5 August, but many encountered new dangers:

Human traffickers along the Bay of Bengal charged BDT 25,000–30,000 per person for transport. Survivors say in 4 boats 320 Rohingya drowned after being thrown into the Bay of Bengal sea or abandoned when ransoms were paid.

Hundreds more remain held by trafficking groups. At Lal Dip Island, technically inside Myanmar territory, armed river pirates have abducted Rohingya, demanding ransom from their families. About 500 people are still trapped on the island, according to sources.

Bangladesh Border Pushbacks Increase Suffering. Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) officials have arrested more than 2,000 Rohingya, pushing back nearly 1,000 into Myanmar territory, where many are abducted again by pirates.

Rohingya who escaped the attacks now face severe deprivation in Cox’s Bazar. Many are:

Hiding in forests and beaches, Starving and without shelter, Carrying untreated blast injuries and Fearful of arrest or deportation.

Survivors are pleading with the United Nations and international community for immediate intervention, humanitarian aid, and protection.

Witnesses Describe a Coordinated Genocidal Operation.

Multiple testimonies describe the AA and Myanmar military acting in a complementary pattern: AA launching ground and drone attacks, and the military conducting airstrikes and river blockades. Rohingya homes were systematically destroyed, civilians killed, and escape routes obstructed.

Human rights observers warn that the attacks amount to ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing, calling for urgent international investigation and accountability.

Critics argue that this strategy enabled the AA to consolidate power under the cover of national instability. While other ethnic groups were openly resisting the junta, the AA maintained ambiguous relations, benefiting from a vacuum of authority. Observers note that this period allowed the group to enhance military capabilities, mobilize local support, and build the foundations of a de facto parallel administration, all while claiming to suffer under military oppression.

At the same time, contradictions continue to emerge on the ground. Although the AA asserts that it is subjected to abuses by the military, local residents say that military battalions in Rakhine State often consist of majority ethnic Rakhine soldiers. In a standard battalion of 100 troops, approximately 95% are Rakhine, according to community sources. This discrepancy has fueled accusations that the AA is misleading the international community by portraying itself as a marginalized group while participating in a broader system of control.

Meanwhile, the Rohingya population continues to endure extreme and systematic persecution. Denied citizenship, stripped of basic human rights, and restricted from movement, the Rohingya have faced decades of targeted violence. Both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army stand accused of conducting coordinated attacks aimed at forcibly expelling Rohingya civilians from their ancestral homeland in Arakan State.

Eyewitness accounts from recent years describe horrific abuses: children burned alive, women and girls subjected to gang rape and sexual violence, elderly people executed, villages destroyed by heavy bombardment, and entire communities driven from their homes. Nearly one million Rohingya, about 95% of the original population, now live as refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Advocates ask why the Arakan Army continues to portray itself as innocent to the international community while simultaneously engaging in violence against another ethnic population. Such actions, they warn, amount to an effort to erase the Rohingya identity and presence in Myanmar; effectively attempting to remove a nation from the world’s map.

Rohingya Political Journalist Saiful Arakani says; The Burmese military government and AA Arakan Army's, two groups have committed genocide against the Rohingya community.

Arakan Army Forces Expel Over 5,000 Rohingya in Deadly Maungdaw Assault

Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, last year on 4 August 2024: More than 5,000 Rohingya residents were forcibly expelled from Maung Ni ward in Maungdaw Township early Friday morning after the Arakan Army (AA) launched a heavy assault to seize control of the area. The attack, which began at around 06:19 a.m., included the use of explosives, artillery shelling, and bombardment in civilian neighborhoods.

Local sources report that AA fighters entered Maung Ni ward at dawn, ordering families to vacate immediately and threatening those who refused to leave. Moments later, the armed group fired heavy weapons into the ward, triggering mass panic as thousands fled their homes.

Residents say the AA not only forced people from their villages but bombarded the very shelters where displaced Rohingya sought refuge. Temporary Rohingya shelters in Maung Ni were hit during the attack, causing further casualties and driving families to flee repeatedly throughout the day.

The exact death toll remains unclear, but initial reports indicate that around 10,000 Rohingya were killed in Maung Ni and surrounding areas. Many more are believed to be injured, missing, or trapped under debris. “People were running while bombs were falling from every direction,” one survivor said. “We had no safe place to go.”

Despite attempting to relocate to nearby villages, many displaced families were unable to remain in those areas due to renewed AA shelling. Others were turned away by villagers fearing retaliation from the armed group.

The assault has created a new wave of displacement in northern Rakhine, compounding the already severe humanitarian crisis faced by Rohingya communities. Observers warn that the attack may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians and forced displacement.

Human rights groups are calling for immediate investigation and emergency aid, noting that the full scale of casualties and destruction is still unknown due to restricted access and ongoing insecurity.

Rohingya community leaders argue that any credible reports about the crisis in Rakhine must come from Rohingya voices themselves. They accuse the AA of manipulating global perception for political gain, creating a dramatic narrative to justify territorial expansion and the long-term goal of establishing an independent Arakan state.