Chakma groups urge investigation into alleged forced conscription in northern Maungdaw

By Admin 28 May 2026

DMG Newsroom

28 May 2026, Maungdaw

Twelve ethnic Chakma organizations have called for an investigation and action over allegations that members of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army exceeded emergency regulations by forcibly conscripting minorities in Thinbawhla Village near Taungpyo Letwe town in northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, near the Bangladesh border.

According to the groups, tensions and arguments broke out on May 23, 2026, when Arakan Army personnel conducted a military recruitment drive in Thinbawhla Village, which is inhabited by ethnic Chakma residents.

The groups said the confrontation escalated after Arakan Army members allegedly fired warning shots and assaulted villagers, leaving several residents injured, including pregnant women.

The Chakma organizations said the incidents could damage the long-standing trust and social harmony between the Arakan Army and the Chakma community.

The statement also alleged that on May 24, the Arakan Army detained more than 100 men and women from Thinbawhla Village, including elderly people, heads of households and primary breadwinners.

“We released this statement so that the leadership would become aware of the humanitarian crisis occurring between our brotherly communities and resolve it peacefully. We are making this constructive appeal because we are responsible for the safety and livelihood of our family members. All of us are children of Arakan State. We share a firm determination to build a unified, loving and just nation together in the future. We do not want trust to be destroyed by such incidents,” an official from a Chakma organization told DMG.

The Chakma groups demanded the immediate release of detained villagers on humanitarian grounds, guarantees for the safety of Chakma-populated villages and the restoration of peace and stability in the affected areas.

Responding to the allegations, U Khaing Thukha, spokesperson for the ULA/AA, denied the claims.

“The statements from these groups are completely untrue. Nothing as severe as what they claim has occurred. This is an excessive fabrication of allegations that ignores the reality on the ground to suit their own narrative,” he told DMG.

He said the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding after a crowd attempted to incite unrest, leading to temporary detentions.

“When relevant ULA officials went to Thinbawhla Village to explain the National Defence Emergency Provision, some villagers who lacked understanding wielded sticks and knives and attempted to form a mob and cause a riot. Therefore, Arakan Army members temporarily detained those instigators. The ULA Ethnic Affairs Committee is now taking time to thoroughly explain national defense responsibilities to them so they can gain a proper understanding. At present, they have come to understand it, and there are no longer any problems,” he said.

U Khaing Thukha also said that under the National Defence Emergency Provision, all residents of the Arakan State within the specified age range are required to attend military training and serve in the military.

“This is the national defense duty and national obligation of a citizen,” he said.

According to local residents, Thinbawhla Village is located on the Maungdaw-Kyeinchaung-Taungpyo Letwe road and consists of 135 households.

In northern Maungdaw border villages including Taungpyo Letwe, Meetaik, Thinbawhla, Aungthayar and Nanthartaung, Muslim armed groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, Rohingya Solidarity Organization and Arakan Rohingya Army remain active, and there have been reports of killings targeting local Arakanese and ethnic minority communities.

The Arakan Army officially began enforcing the National Defence Emergency Provision in areas under its control on March 22, 2025, and travel restrictions have been imposed to prevent people eligible for conscription from leaving Arakan State.