Residents told RYDA that AA/ULA is recording Rohingya-owned land and properties and allegedly confiscating properties belonging to displaced Rohingya.
Date: 20 August 2026
Location: Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships, Northern Rakhine State, Myanmar
According to residents, the collection of property information began around 15 August 2026. They said that AA/ULA is reportedly collecting information not only on properties belonging to Rohingya who are currently living in Maungdaw and Buthidaung, but also on properties belonging to Rohingya who have fled to other parts of Myanmar and to a neighboring country as refugees.
A resident of Maungdaw told RYDA:
Yes, it is true. Since last week, they have been collecting records of Rohingya-owned properties, including residential land, farmland and shrimp ponds. They are recording exactly how large the residential land is, how many acres of farmland remain, and how many shrimp ponds there are. They are collecting the information very precisely. They are collecting the records household by household and family by family in every ward and village.
According to another resident from Buthidaung Township, AA/ULA has also been collecting detailed information about Rohingya-owned properties in recent days.
The Buthidaung resident told RYDA that the information being collected includes the type of house, size of residential land, number of acres of farmland and number of shrimp ponds owned by each Rohingya family currently living in the township.
The resident further alleged that the properties belonging to Rohingya who have fled to other parts of Myanmar or to the neighboring country are being classified as “ownerless” and are being taken as property of Arakan Army.
The resident told RYDA:
“The properties of Rohingya who have taken refuge in other parts of Myanmar or in the neighboring country are being considered ownerless and are being taken as assets of AA/ULA. Family members of the original owners are not being allowed to retain ownership of these properties. They are taking all of them.”
RYDA Assessment
The testimonies received by RYDA indicate that detailed information about Rohingya-owned properties is currently being collected in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships.
The reported collection includes information about residential land, farmland and shrimp ponds, including properties belonging to Rohingya who are currently displaced outside the area.
The allegation that properties belonging to displaced Rohingya are being classified as “ownerless” and confiscated by Arakan Army(AA ) raises serious concerns regarding property rights, displacement, and the future ownership of Rohingya land and other assets.
RYDA Teams will continue documenting testimonies from affected residents and monitoring developments concerning Rohingya property rights in northern Rakhine State.