On 10 March 2026, residents of Khin Daung village, Buthidaung Township (Arakan/Rakhine State) reported that members of the Arakan Army entered the village and detained ten Rohingya girls from their homes. According to villagers, the girls were taken to an unknown location believed to be an AA-controlled military camp.
News of the detentions began circulating widely on 12 March, triggering widespread fear among families who still have no information about the girls’ whereabouts or condition.
Community accounts state that armed AA members arrived in the village, removed the girls from their homes, and left without providing any explanation.
No accusations were presented, no written orders were shown, and families were given no information about where the girls were taken. The sudden removal of ten young girls has left parents shocked and deeply distressed, with many fearing the worst as days pass without communication.
Villagers now fear the detentions may be linked to extortion demands. Some residents suspect that families may later be pressured to pay money in exchange for their daughters’ release.
In similar incidents reported across northern Arakan, civilians detained by the drug mafia Arakan Army have been released only after payments ranging from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand kyats. Poorer families in Khin Daung fear they will have no way to respond if such demands emerge.
Since the incident, daily life in the village has changed dramatically. Parents are keeping daughters inside their homes, avoiding travel to markets or neighboring villages. Fear of further detentions has spread across the community, creating a climate where ordinary civilian life has become dominated by uncertainty and anxiety.
For Rohingya families in Buthidaung, the disappearance of these ten girls highlights a persistent reality under the authority exercised by the Arakan Army: civilians can be taken from their homes without charges, without explanation, and without accountability. Until independent verification and access are granted, the fate of these girls and the safety of many others remains deeply uncertain.