Rebel seizure of Buthidaung displaces 150,000 Rohingya in Myanmar
The capture of Buthidaung town in Myanmar's Rakhine state by the ethnic group Arakan Army (AA) has led to the displacement of 150,000 Rohingya Muslims, a Rohingya rights group reported on Sunday.
The rebel group announced on Saturday that it had taken full control of Buthidaung township, which is near the Bangladesh border and has a significant Rohingya population. This followed the fall of the regime’s Strategic Military Command in the area.
Throughout the week, the Arakan Army seized four Light Infantry Battalion headquarters and two border guard bases in the township, amid ongoing clashes with junta soldiers retreating from Buthidaung.
Buthidaung is known for having the largest Rohingya population since the 2017 violence by the Myanmar army, which led to widespread displacement.
"On May 17, the Arakan Army ordered the Rohingya in downtown Buthidaung to leave by May 18 at 10 am When they refused, the rebels set fire to the entire downtown area at 9:30 pm, not even waiting until their own deadline," stated the Free Rohingya Coalition, a network of Rohingya activists.
Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the coalition, told media that more than 150,000 people are now homeless and in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Many displaced individuals remain within the township, fleeing to rural areas, while some are stranded on roads and in paddy fields.
"All crimes against the Rohingya must be investigated, and perpetrators held accountable," Nay asserted.
Currently, approximately 600,000 Rohingya Muslims remain in Rakhine state. Over 750,000 Rohingya, mainly women and children, fled to Bangladesh following a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces in August 2017, bringing the total number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to over 1.2 million.
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