According to several reliable residents of Buthidaung Township in Arakan (or Rakhine) State, Myanmar, there are over 200,000 Rohingya seeking refuge in downtown Buthidaung, occupying houses, government buildings, a hospital, schools, and any available space.
The Arakan Army (AA) has issued a warning, demanding that they vacate the town by 10 AM on May 18, 2024 (tomorrow), Saturday.
In recent days, the AA has fired upon a school and a hospital where displaced Rohingya are sheltering, resulting in numerous injuries and deaths. Today, another attack on the school has left at least five dead and dozens injured.
There are ongoing reports, yet to be thoroughly investigated, indicating obvious massacres where several dozen more have been killed in various locations.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures in January 2020. Despite this order, both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) are violating it, along with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Geneva Convention.
Rohingya residents in downtown Buthidaung assert that they will not relocate, even as the Arakan Army (AA) continues to shell them with artillery fire. They emphasize that there are no Myanmar military battalions present in the downtown area for the AA to seize. It is evident that the AA is attempting to forcibly displace Rohingya residents from downtown Buthidaung. This forced relocation must be halted.
The international community must not ignore the plight of the remaining Rohingya genocide survivors in Buthidaung, Maungdaw Townships, and beyond. Numerous unreported crimes have been committed against the Rohingya by both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA).
