May 28, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice (BIV)
MAUNGDAW, Rakhine State — A coalition of 12 Daingnet (Chakma) youth and national organizations has accused the Arakkha Army (AA) of violently enforcing a mandatory military conscription campaign in Maungdaw Township, culminating in the forced abduction of more than 100 ethnic minority civilians.
According to a joint statement released on May 27, 2026, severe tensions boiled over between local residents and AA cadres in Thinbaw Hla Village, located within the Taung Pyo Letwe Sub-township. The enforcement drive escalated into a violent confrontation involving warning shots and physical assaults by armed cadres, leaving multiple villagers injured, including pregnant women.
Local correspondents reported that on May 24, the day following the initial clashes, AA forces systematically rounded up and abducted over 100 individuals, targeting elderly villagers, household heads, and primary breadwinners.
Emerging Humanitarian Crisis and Blockades
The mass detentions have triggered an acute humanitarian and economic crisis within the isolated ethnic minority community. Signatory organizations stated that the abrupt removal of primary providers has left infants, children, women, and the elderly without basic sustenance, inflicting severe psychological and livelihood hardships.
Furthermore, the situation has been compounded by rigid operational security measures enforced by the AA.
- Movement Restrictions: Travel between adjacent villages has been heavily restricted, cutting off families from accessing agricultural lands.
- Communication Blackouts: Local communication lines have been compromised, making it exceedingly difficult for remaining residents to secure food, healthcare, and daily emergency necessities.
The joint coalition emphasized that the coercion, threats, and armed violence deployed during the recruitment process have inflicted deep psychological trauma across the vulnerable Daingnet community, particularly among women and children.
A Threat to Regional Coexistence
The Daingnet (Chakma) people represent an indigenous, peace-loving ethnic minority that has coexisted alongside the ethnic Rakhine majority and other communities for generations. Activists expressed deep concern that the AA’s aggressive tactics risk permanently fracturing the fragile foundation of mutual trust and social harmony constructed over centuries in the region.
In response to the crackdown, the 12 domestic and international Chakma organizations demanded immediate remedial actions from the United States League/Arakkha Army (ULA/AA) leadership.
Demands for Accountability and Transparency
The joint statement outlines a series of urgent appeals aimed at de-escalating the communal crisis:
- Immediate Release: The unconditional release of all detained Daingnet civilians abducted from Thinbaw Hla Village, with an immediate focus on minors, the elderly, those in poor health, and essential household providers.
- Safety Guarantees & Access: Immediate humanitarian access for local aid groups and community leaders to deliver food and medicine, alongside security guarantees for the affected population.
- Media Transparency: Allowing independent local journalists and international media organizations unhindered access to transparently investigate the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable under justice and human rights standards.
- Policy Review: A comprehensive review and immediate cessation of forced military conscription, forced labor, and intimidation targeting ethnic minority communities in Rakhine State.
The coalition concluded their joint appeal by reaffirming their commitment to human dignity and peaceful coexistence, declaring that they will not accept any form of systemic oppression, violence, or discrimination against minority groups under the pretext of emergency wartime regulations.
