I. Executive Summary

The Rohingya people in Rakhine State continue to face an escalating campaign of persecution, violence, and systematic deprivation that amounts to crimes against humanity and war crimes. During the reporting period of 16–22 May 2026, credible reports and investigations revealed ongoing atrocities committed against Rohingya civilians, including massacres, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, forced labor, extortion, land confiscation, and severe restrictions on movement.

While the Myanmar military junta remains responsible for longstanding genocidal policies against the Rohingya, increasing evidence points to the involvement of the Arakan Army (AA) and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA) in grave human rights violations targeting Rohingya communities across northern Rakhine State.

This report by Action Against Rohingya Atrocities (AARA) consolidates documented incidents, eyewitness accounts, and findings from international human rights organizations. The evidence demonstrates a worsening humanitarian and protection crisis that threatens the survival, dignity, and future of the Rohingya people.

AARA urgently calls upon the international community to take immediate action to ensure accountability, civilian protection, and justice for victims.

II. Documented War Crimes and Massacres

The Hoyyar Siri Massacre

A major investigation released by Human Rights Watch on 18 May 2026, titled “Skeletons and Skulls Scattered Everywhere,” documented the massacre carried out on 2 May 2024 in Hoyyar Siri (Htan Shauk Khan) village, Buthidaung Township.

According to the investigation, fighters from the Arakan Army deliberately opened fire on unarmed Rohingya civilians, including women and children who were attempting to flee armed clashes between the AA and Myanmar military forces.

The report confirmed:

• More than 170 Rohingya civilians killed
• Approximately 90 children among the dead or missing
• Widespread destruction and burning of the village
• Arbitrary detention of survivors in makeshift camps
• Forced labor and severe restrictions imposed on displaced Rohingya

Eyewitness testimonies, satellite imagery, and verified multimedia evidence strongly support findings that the massacre was deliberate and systematic in nature. Despite denials from the AA/ULA leadership, the evidence collected by investigators overwhelmingly contradicts those claims.

The massacre represents one of the gravest documented atrocities against Rohingya civilians since the escalation of conflict in Rakhine State.

Arbitrary Arrests and Enforced Disappearances

On 15 May 2026, three Rohingya civilians from Ywa Thit village, Maungdaw Township, were reportedly arrested by the Arakan Army in the Nakha Kha (10) Battalion area while attempting to retrieve their cattle.

Those detained included:

• Mamat Ta Keer
• Ba Mamat Abbour (29)
• Another unidentified villager
• A 4-month-old infant

Family members seeking information regarding their whereabouts were reportedly denied answers, while AA authorities rejected responsibility for the detentions. The incident has intensified fear and insecurity among Rohingya communities already living under constant threat of arbitrary arrest and disappearance.

III. Systemic Gender-Based Violence

Rising Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Women and Girls

A deeply alarming report published on 14 May 2026 by the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK documented increasing patterns of sexual violence committed against Rohingya women and girls in areas under Arakan Army control.

The report identified cases involving:

• Gang rape
• Sexual assault
• Arbitrary detention
• Threats of rape
• Abuse during forced recruitment raids
• Incommunicado detention of women and girls

The majority of reported incidents occurred in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships.

BROUK warned that sexual violence is no longer occurring solely as isolated incidents linked to conflict, but is increasingly becoming embedded within systems of coercion, intimidation, and governance imposed on Rohingya civilians.

These abuses mirror patterns of violence historically perpetrated by the Myanmar military during earlier genocidal campaigns against the Rohingya population.

The continued use of sexual violence as a weapon of terror represents a grave violation of international humanitarian law and demands urgent international investigation and accountability.

IV. Economic Persecution and Modern Slavery

Forced Labor and Extortion

Reports from Maungdaw Township indicate that the AA/ULA imposed another large-scale financial collection campaign against Rohingya businessmen during May 2026.

According to local sources:

• Approximately 120 million kyats were collected from Rohingya communities under Area 6 administration.
• The money was allegedly demanded for repairs to the Maungdaw–Taungpyo highway.
• This was reportedly the fourth forced collection campaign, with previous rounds involving similar amounts.

Simultaneously, Rohingya villagers in AA Region 3 were subjected to forced labor practices requiring:

• 50 individuals from each village
• Three consecutive days of labor
• Quarrying and transporting rocks for road construction
• Providing their own food, water, and work equipment
• No wages or compensation

Witnesses reported that individuals unable to work due to illness or physical weakness faced abuse and intimidation.

These practices constitute clear forms of economic exploitation and modern slavery under international law.

Land Confiscation

In Kyauktaw Township, the AA/ULA reportedly initiated plans to confiscate approximately 196 acres of Rohingya farmland in Taungdaung village for the construction of factories and workshops.

The proposed compensation of 4 million kyats per acre is estimated to be only a fraction of the actual market value of the land.

When ten Rohingya farmers questioned the confiscation process on 4 April 2026, they were reportedly arrested and detained for 72 hours in dark detention rooms.

The confiscation of ancestral lands further deepens the displacement, impoverishment, and dispossession of Rohingya communities already facing severe restrictions on livelihood and movement.

Restrictions on Freedom of Movement

Rohingya residents in Kyauktaw Township continue to face discriminatory movement restrictions requiring multiple administrative approvals and travel certificates commonly referred to as “dilap.”

Travel between villages reportedly requires payments including:

• 5,000 kyats at village administration offices
• 2,000 kyats at district offices
• 5,000 kyats at police or “dilap” checkpoints

These excessive fees place heavy financial burdens on already vulnerable communities and effectively restrict access to healthcare, education, employment, and social life.

Community members increasingly view the system as a deliberate mechanism designed to pressure Rohingya families into abandoning their homes and lands.

V. Global Solidarity and Rohingya Activism

Detention of Ko Tin Maung

Rohingya activist Ko Tin Maung (Rayees) was reportedly among 428 activists, medics, and journalists detained by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) after a humanitarian flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza was intercepted during May 2026.

His participation reflected growing global solidarity among oppressed communities and highlighted the role of Rohingya human rights defenders in advocating for justice and humanitarian principles internationally.

The detention underscores the personal risks faced by Rohingya activists engaged in global human rights advocacy.

VI. Regional Security and Humanitarian Concerns

Anti-Smuggling Operations in Bangladesh

On 20 May 2026, the Bangladesh Coast Guard conducted anti-smuggling operations in Chittagong, seizing large quantities of illegal fuel and edible oil.

Although not directly linked to abuses against the Rohingya, such operations highlight the fragile security and economic environment surrounding border regions where many Rohingya refugees remain vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, and criminal activity.

VII. Conclusion

The evidence documented during this reporting period demonstrates a continuing and deeply alarming pattern of persecution against the Rohingya people in Rakhine State.

Mass killings, arbitrary arrests, sexual violence, forced labor, land confiscation, economic exploitation, and movement restrictions collectively form part of a systematic structure of oppression targeting the Rohingya population.

Both the Myanmar military junta and the Arakan Army/ULA bear responsibility for serious human rights violations and possible war crimes under international law.

The international community must not remain silent while the Rohingya continue to endure violence, dispossession, and collective punishment.

Action Against Rohingya Atrocities (AARA) reaffirms its commitment to documenting abuses, amplifying the voices of survivors, and advocating for justice, accountability, and the protection of Rohingya civilians.

VIII. Recommendations

1. Accountability and Justice

The international community, including the United Nations Security Council, must support independent investigations into all alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both the Myanmar military junta and the Arakan Army.

2. Protection of Civilians

All parties to the conflict must immediately cease attacks against civilians and comply fully with international humanitarian law.

3. End Forced Labor and Economic Exploitation

The AA/ULA must immediately halt all forms of forced labor, extortion, arbitrary taxation, and unlawful land confiscation targeting Rohingya communities.

4. Restore Freedom of Movement

Discriminatory travel restrictions and the abusive certificate system imposed on Rohingya civilians must be abolished without delay.

5. Support Survivors of Sexual Violence

Comprehensive medical, psychological, legal, and protection services must be provided for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

6. Increase International Pressure

Governments, regional bodies, and international organizations must apply sustained diplomatic and economic pressure on all perpetrators to ensure respect for human rights and meaningful progress toward justice and durable peace.

Action Against Rohingya Atrocities (AARA)

Advocating for Truth, Justice, Accountability, and Human Dignity for the Rohingya People