The ‘Lost’ Villages of Myanmar’s Rakhine

A “river of blood” was how one survivor described the scene in western Myanmar. I saw mass killing.” Another told the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) how 20 relatives, including three children, had been killed in the 2024 attack on Htan Shauk Khan village. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said earlier this month that the Arakan Army (AA) “may have killed at least 170 Rohingya men, women, and children” in Hoyyar Siri (known as Htan Shauk Khan in Burmese) in Buthidaung Township.

It described the May 2, 2024, attack as a “massacre”. Buthidaung is one of the two townships in Rakhine State that is home to the majority of the Rohingya , a mainly Muslim ethnic minority in the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. At least 40 villages in Buthindaung were burned down in April and May 2024 amid clashes between the AA, an ethnic armed group fighting Myanmar’s military junta for control of Rakhine, and junta forces battling to retain their hold of the township. Both sides committed abuses against civilians during the clashes, according to HRW. The military junta’s forced conscription of Rohingya to fight on its behalf has also intensified violence against them. The military and Rohingya armed groups began arson attacks in Buthidaung township in April 2024. By mid-May the AA had captured all junta bases, according to the think tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute . The destruction of Buthidaung has previously been documented by Bellingcat. Your donations directly contribute to our ability to publish groundbreaking investigations and uncover wrongdoing around the world. The AA has denied accusations that it massacred civilians in Buthidaung, claiming that those killed were junta soldiers and Rohingya militants. Bellingcat emailed the United League of Arakan, AA’s political wing, about the alleged attack on civilians but did not receive a response at the time of publication. Myanmar’s Ministry of Defence also did not respond to our questions.

Key points

• It described the May 2, 2024, attack as a “massacre”.
• Buthidaung is one of the two townships in Rakhine State that is home to the majority of the Rohingya , a mainly Muslim ethnic minority in the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.
• At least 40 villages in Buthindaung were burned down in April and May 2024 amid clashes between the AA, an ethnic armed group fighting Myanmar’s military junta for control of Rakhine, and junta for…
• Both sides committed abuses against civilians during the clashes, according to HRW.
• The military junta’s forced conscription of Rohingya to fight on its behalf has also intensified violence against them.