Muslim elders reject allegations that AA massacred Buthidaung Twsp villagers

By Admin 25 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

25 August 2025, Buthidaung

Muslim elders in Maungdaw District issued a statement on August 23 saying the skeletons found in Htan Shauk Khan Village were the remains of junta soldiers killed in the fighting, and that junta accusations that the AA killed more than 600 Muslims are a fabrication and a lie.

Fierce fighting broke out between the military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Htan Shauk Khan Village on May 2 and 3, 2024, killing scores of junta soldiers.

The elders' statement said allegations, made by Myanmar's military regime and others, that the skeletal remains of the dead junta soldiers were those of more than 600 civilians killed by the AA were false and fabricated.

"A statement was issued [by the Maungdaw District elders] with the main purpose of preventing the loss of trust between ethnic groups and ensuring that the existing harmony is not disrupted. Furthermore, we also jointly oppose the actions of the corrupt politicians abroad to destroy the unity among us. We also oppose and condemn such exaggerated statements," said Mamad Ilnis, a Muslim community elder in Maungdaw District.

The Muslim elders said that fabrications and propaganda not only undermine the harmony and coexistence between the Arakanese and Muslim communities in Arakan State, but also serve to create hatred, misperceptions, and distrust between the two communities.

U Zolati, a 52-year-old Htan Shauk Khan villager, said he saw bodies of junta soldiers in and around the village after the fighting broke out, when he subsequently visited the village.

More than 100 military-trained Muslim recruits and junta soldiers were killed during a clash between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army near Htan Shauk Khan Village, according to the former deputy commander of the junta's Military Operations Command No. 15 in Buthidaung, who was captured by the AA as a prisoner of war.

"The bodies were scattered, so it seems that we had to bury the bodies that fell on the road as we retreated. There will be many more bodies in the fields and around the village," Col. Kaung Myat added.

Earlier this month, the Arakan Rohingya National Council (ARNC) alleged in a statement, along with photographs, that the AA had killed about 600 Muslims, including children and pregnant women from Htan Shauk Khan Village in May 2024.

The Arakan Army has denied the allegations, saying that the bodies are the skeletons of junta soldiers who died in the fighting.

Fortify Rights on July 23 alleged that the AA had committed war crimes against Muslims, including abductions, torture, and killings, and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the ethnic armed group's conduct. The AA denies those allegations as well.