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New Evidence Reveals Destruction and Seizure of Rohingya Villages Under Arakan Army Control

19 October 2026A new investigation published by The Guardian on 1 October 2026 has documented allegations of the systematic destruction and confiscation of Rohingya villages in northern Arakan following the Arakan Army's territorial advances in 2024. Combining satellite imagery, Rohingya eyewitness accounts, conflict-monitoring data and findings from an internal United Nations report, the investigation describes how former Rohingya residential areas and agricultural land have been cleared and repurposed for military facilities, settlements and camps housing displaced people.According to the internal UN findings reported by The Guardian, at least 800 hectares of land across 23 Rohingya villages have been seized and repurposed since 2024. The findings describe a pattern in which displacement is followed by changes to the land that make the restoration of original homes and communities increasingly difficult. The reported developments have raised concerns about the future of Rohingya families who remain in Arakan and the possibility of return for those who have sought refuge in Bangladesh.The investigation places particular attention on Buthidaung Township, where the Arakan Army established control over much of the area during 2024.

Satellite comparisons show substantial changes to former Rohingya settlements, including the removal of residential structures and the construction of new facilities. The Guardian also examined conflict-monitoring information indicating that recorded battles in Buthidaung declined from 103 in 2024 to 12 in 2025. This distinction is important because some documented land changes occurred after major fighting had subsided, raising questions about whether the destruction resulted from combat or subsequent clearance operations.Muhammad Ares, an eighteen-year-old Rohingya refugee interviewed in Bangladesh, described bulldozers removing residential buildings, trees and other features of his former village. He alleged that cleared areas were subsequently used for Arakan Army military camps and outposts.

His testimony provides a personal account of the disappearance of a settlement that had previously contained homes and established community landmarks. The investigation also documented testimony from Mohammed Sadik, aged twenty-six, from Ywet Nyo Taung, who described the confiscation of agricultural land and the loss of farming equipment.Sadik alleged that Rohingya residents were compelled to undertake heavy labour, including clearing roads, digging trenches and working inside military camps. According to his account, local…