Satellite images have revealed that the insurgent Arakan Army (AA) is systematically destroying Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine state, Myanmar, in a campaign that mirrors the ethnic cleansing carried out by the country's military nearly a decade ago. The findings show that at least ten displacement camps have been built on confiscated Rohingya land, including one on paddy fields at Hnget Thay, after the AA took control of most of northern Rakhine in 2024.
The destruction has forced more than 155,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh since 2024, according to the United Nations. That figure represents about 25 per cent of the estimated 600,000 Rohingya still living in Myanmar. The mass exodus has raised concerns about the very survival of a people who now mostly live abroad as refugees, with many others hiding in the mountains or attempting deadly boat journeys to Malaysia.
Witnesses described the violence as merciless. One Rohingya survivor said the AA «showed no mercy» as they burned homes and seized land. The satellite analysis, which tracked the expansion of camps and the razing of villages over recent months, indicates a deliberate policy of land grabbing and displacement rather than incidental damage from fighting.
The Arakan Army, which has fought the Myanmar military for autonomy in Rakhine state, has denied targeting civilians. However, the evidence gathered from satellite imagery and testimony from refugees suggests a pattern of abuse that international human rights groups say could amount to crimes against humanity. The AA's actions have drawn comparisons to the military's 2017 crackdown, which drove more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh and led to genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice.
The new displacement is compounding an already dire humanitarian crisis. Bangladesh's refugee camps, which host nearly one million Rohingya, are overcrowded and underfunded. The arrival of 155,000 more people since 2024 has stretched resources to breaking point, and aid agencies warn that without increased international support, basic services such as food, shelter and healthcare will collapse.
Inside Myanmar, those who remain face a precarious existence. Many are confined to camps like the one at Hnget Thay, where they lack freedom of movement and access to livelihoods. Others have fled into the mountains, where they are cut off from humanitarian assistance. The United Nations has called for unimpeded access to deliver aid, but the AA has restricted entry to areas under its control.
The international community has been slow to respond. While Western governments have imposed sanctions on the Myanmar military, the AA has largely escaped scrutiny, partly because it is seen as a resistance force against the junta. But the latest evidence of ethnic targeting is forcing a rethink. Diplomats in the region say the AA's treatment of Rohingya could jeopardise its legitimacy and any future political role in Rakhine state.
For the Rohingya diaspora, the news is a painful reminder of past traumas. «We are being erased again, and the world is watching but doing nothing,» said a Rohingya activist based in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The activist called on the international community to pressure the AA to halt the demolitions and allow displaced people to return safely.
Analysts warn that without decisive action, the Rohingya could face a repeat of the 2017 exodus, with no safe haven in Myanmar. The satellite imagery serves as stark evidence that the cycle of displacement is continuing, this time at the hands of a different armed group. As the camps expand and villages disappear, the question of whether the Rohingya can ever return to their homeland grows more urgent by the day.