CONDEMNING THE BRUTAL EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING OF ROHINGYA YOUTHS BY THE ARAKAN ARMY (AA) IN NORTH MAUNGDAW

Action Against Rohingya Atrocities (AARA) unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms condemns the brutal extrajudicial killing of two Rohingya youths by the Arakan Army (AA) in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State. This heinous crime, reportedly involving torture and beheading, constitutes a flagrant violation of international human rights and humanitarian law and signals a deeply alarming escalation in the systematic persecution of the Rohingya civilian population.

Incident Overview and Chronology of Events

On the night of March 26, 2026, two Rohingya youths, Mohammad Younes (also known as Daw Lar Yar, 24) and Mohammad Salam (22), were arbitrarily detained by Arakan Army personnel from the Chaung Wa camp. At the time of their arrest, the victims were peacefully engaged in fishing in a local river near Thayet Op Village (Tharay Oak), seeking only to sustain their families.

Despite immediate inquiries by family members and the local village administrator the following morning, AA officials at the Chaung Wa camp falsely claimed that the youths were being held for “investigation.” This misleading assertion tragically foreshadowed the horrific outcome.

On April 1, 2026, the mutilated bodies of the two victims were discovered by a local cowherd in a field near Ula Village (Khoe La Bill). The condition of the bodies indicates severe abuse and deliberate killing, underscoring the gravity of this atrocity.

Call for Urgent International Action

In light of these grave violations, AARA urgently calls upon the international community to take immediate, decisive, and coordinated action. Continued silence and inaction risk emboldening further atrocities against an already persecuted population.

AARA specifically calls on the United Nations, international human rights mechanisms, and concerned governments to:

• Initiate an independent, transparent, and international investigation into these killings and the broader pattern of abuses against the Rohingya in Rakhine State;
• Ensure full accountability by pursuing all available legal avenues, including international justice mechanisms, to hold perpetrators responsible;
• Impose targeted sanctions and diplomatic measures against individuals and entities implicated in serious human rights violations;
• Guarantee immediate protection for Rohingya civilians, including urgent measures to prevent further killings, arbitrary detention, and collective punishment;
• Strengthen documentation and evidence preservation efforts to ensure that these crimes are neither denied nor erased from the historical record.

A Call to Conscience

The international community must recognize that these atrocities are not isolated incidents, but part of a sustained and systematic campaign of violence, persecution, and intimidation against the Rohingya people.

Failure to act decisively will not only enable further violations but will also undermine the fundamental principles of justice, accountability, and human dignity upon which international law is built.

AARA’s Commitment

AARA stands in unwavering solidarity with the victims’ families and the broader Rohingya community. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to documenting abuses, amplifying the voices of victims, and pursuing justice through all available national and international avenues.

Justice must not be delayed. Accountability must not be denied. The lives of Rohingya civilians must be protected.