Rohingya Residents Report Arbitrary Detentions and Extortion in Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine State
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\nRohingya civilians in western Myanmar have accused security forces under the military junta of carrying out arbitrary arrests, secret detentions and alleged extortion, raising renewed concerns over the community\u2019s safety and access to legal protection.<\/p>\n
Residents in Sittwe Township, Rakhine State, reported that police, military personnel, intelligence officers and border security forces have detained Rohingya individuals without clear explanations or formal charges. Families said some detainees were taken to military or intelligence facilities rather than regular police stations, leaving relatives unable to determine their whereabouts or legal status.<\/p>\n
Community members alleged that some officials demanded money in exchange for releasing detained relatives, claiming that arrests were sometimes linked to accusations of involvement with human trafficking or the Arakan Army without sufficient evidence.<\/p>\n
Several cases reportedly involved individuals detained because their names allegedly matched those on security watchlists, despite no confirmed links to criminal activity. Families said they were often denied information about the reasons for detention or access to legal assistance.<\/p>\n
The allegations come as Myanmar\u2019s military junta continues to control parts of Rakhine State following the 2021 coup, amid ongoing conflict with armed groups.<\/p>\n
Rohingya communities have long faced restrictions on movement, education, healthcare and employment, and rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over discrimination and limited access to justice for the Muslim minority.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rohingya Residents Report Arbitrary Detentions and Extortion in Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine State ——————————- Rohingya civilians in western Myanmar have accused security forces under the military junta of carrying out arbitrary arrests, secret detentions and alleged extortion, raising renewed concerns over the community\u2019s safety and access to legal protection. Residents in Sittwe Township, Rakhine State, reported that …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[3125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-myanmar"],"yoast_head":"\n