GENOCIDE EMERGENCY:
MAUNGDAW, RAKHINE STATE, MYANMAR
DECEMBER 2024
The Arakan Army (AA) has launched an aggressive campaign to seize control of Maungdaw, Myanmar, displacing tens of thousands of Rohingya under the pretext of civilian protection. Forced evacuations have caused shortages of food, clean water and healthcare. Hundreds of Rohingya have been killed. Rohingya men have been forcibly conscripted into both the Arakan and Myanmar Armies. Many Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh, where they face extortion, detention, and insecurity in vast refugee camps.
The crisis escalated in June 2024 when the Arakan Army (AA) advanced into a densely populated Rohingya town near Maungdaw, forcing thousands to flee. On June 16, the AA ordered the evacuation of the town. This evacuation order coincided with the Eid ul-Adha festival, caused panic among Rohingya Muslim residents. AA forces launched drone and artillery attacks on residential areas, targeting neighborhoods such as Myoma Kanyintan, where the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) was conscripting Rohingya men. AA bombs destroyed homes and injured residents sheltering in mosques and concrete buildings.
On August 5 AA drone and artillery fire targeted civilians gathered on the Naf River shore, to cross into Bangladesh. Eyewitnesses reported attacks from AA-controlled positions in Shwezar, Maung Ni, and Pan Taw Pyin, which killed hundreds of Rohingya civilians. Refugees described scores of bodies strewn along the shore. The AA attacks were likely triggered by the gathering of armed RSO troops at a nearby dock.
Following the August 5 massacre, AA forces began systematically evacuating the remaining Rohingya population from Maungdaw town. Civilians were forcibly relocated to AA-controlled areas, including the derelict Hla Poe Kaung transit camp and to depopulated villages such as Pan Taw Pyin. Evacuees faced severe lack of shelter, food, and medical care. Many were subjected to forced conscription, prompting further displacement. Refugees described perilous escapes across the Naf River to Bangladesh. They often fell victim to extortion by armed groups, including the RSO and AA, who stole valuables and abused women.
The AA’s actions mirror the Myanmar military’s clearance operations of 2017, which were joined by Rakhine militias. The 2017 massacres displaced over 800,000 Rohingya. By forcibly evacuating the remaining Rohingya enclaves in Maungdaw, the AA has continued the systematic erasure of the Rohingya presence in Rakhine State.
Refugee testimonies highlight the diminished influence of armed Rohingya resistance groups, contrary to AA claims of their pervasive threat. The RSO and SAC have largely replaced the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Maungdaw.
The Rohingya community in Maungdaw stands at the brink of annihilation. Without immediate and decisive intervention, attacks by the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army will lead to the destruction of the remaining Rohingyas in Myanmar.
Genocide Watch considers Myanmar to be at Stage 3: Discrimination, Stage 5: Organization, Stage 8: Persecution, Stage 9: Extermination, and Stage 10: Denial
Genocide Watch recommends that:
States directly impacted by the Rohingya Genocide and the resulting refugee crisis, particularly including Bangladesh and Malaysia, should intervene in The Gambia v. Myanmar case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under Article 62 of the Statute of the ICJ. The deadline for such interventions is 30 December 2024.
Other States Parties to the Genocide Convention should also intervene in The Gambia v. Myanmar case before the ICJ under Article 63 of the Statute of the ICJ. The deadline for such interventions is 30 December 2024.
States Parties to the Genocide Convention should provide financial support to The Gambia to sustain its claim against Myanmar before the ICJ. They should also provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya community in Bangladesh.
As the incoming Chair of ASEAN for 2025, Malaysia must lead decisive, effective measures to ensure safe passage and protection for Rohingya refugees fleeing genocide.