The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) has infiltrated Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State, intimidating and kidnapping residents.
Faced with a government crackdown in neighboring Bangladesh over refugee camp crime, ARSA members have been appearing in Maungdaw, said residents.
A Rohingya villager in Maungdaw told The Irrawaddy: “We are afraid of anyone armed, the Arakan Army [AA], Myanmar’s military and ARSA. Lately, ARSA members come
and demand support. No villagers accept them but we are afraid. They demand we supply them with food.”
Business owners in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships fear they will be kidnapped for ransom, said a Muslim from Buthidaung.
“Refugees in Bangladesh have rejected ARSA and it is unpopular in Rakhine State, so its fighters are short of food. They kidnap fellow Muslims for ransom.
“They take photos with Muslim villagers and extort money from them by threatening to post the pictures, accusing them of being ARSA members.”
AA spokesman Khaing Thukha said the armed group is closely monitoring Maungdaw Township.
On August 12, two Muslim villagers were abducted by approximately 20 ARSA troops while driving to Kyein Chaung village. ARSA members set fire to their vehicle, residents said.
While both Buddhist and Muslim communities said ARSA was responsible for the abduction of the two businessmen, junta newspapers blamed the rival Rohingya Solidarity Organization.
Former Rakhine State Parliament lawmaker for Maungdaw U Maung Ohn said: “ARSA has been infiltrating Maungdaw. Both the AA and Myanmar’s military know that. [ARSA] troops have done nothing for Rakhine villages.”
The AA and ARSA clashed in the Mayu mountains near two Muslim villages in Buthidaung Township on July 19. Both sides reportedly suffered casualties.
The AA, according to residents, was pursuing a Muslim villager for allegedly extorting money from fellow villagers when he sought help from ARSA troops, resulting in a fierce clash.
A Muslim refugee from Bangladesh said Myanmar’s junta must have allowed large numbers of ARSA troops to cross the border.
“The border is heavily guarded and there are many outposts near Muslim villages in Maungdaw and Buthidaung. There is a division in Buthidaung. How can ARSA operate in the area? They have shared interests. Junta commanders use them to transport drugs and sell cattle in Bangladesh. I heard that the military even sells rice for ARSA,” he told The Irrawaddy.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify his claim.
Villagers say they have been reporting ARSA’s arrival to the junta’s border forces for years but no action has been taken.
ARSA came into the spotlight after attacks on border outposts in 2016 and 2017 in Maungdaw. The group is active in Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Rakhine and Cox’s Bazar in eastern Bangladesh. It is estimated to have around 300 fighters.
