Rohingya residents in Buthidaung Township, Arakan (Rakhine) are facing strict travel restrictions under the so-called administration of the terrorist Arakan Army including mandatory recommendation letters, layered approvals, and multiple fees for movement toward Maungdaw.

According to local residents, even short travel between Nayma areas within the same township now requires official permission. Civilians must obtain a recommendation letter from the local administrator for 3,000 Myanmar kyat, a letter from the Nayma officer for another 3,000 Myanmar kyat, and approval from Ma Ya Ka authorities for 5,000 Myanmar kyat.

These costs have become another mechanism of pressure. In addition, the restrictions are affecting basic human need. Travel for healthcare, work, family visits, and daily needs has become conditional on money and approval. For poor families, movement is no longer a right but a paid privilege controlled by the Arakan Army.

This system is not a simple administration. It is controlled confinement. By forcing Rohingya to pay for permission to move, the Arakan Army turns daily travel into surveillance, revenue extraction, and social control. Every letter, fee, and approval becomes a barrier between civilians and survival.

For Rohingya communities in Buthidaung, these restriction reflects a broader pattern under Arakan Army’s control: movement is monitored, poverty is exploited, and basic rights remain conditional. The permit system does not protect civilians; it traps them inside a structure of fear, dependency, and exclusion.