United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), the political wing of the Arakan Army, collects
money from traffickers to facilitate journeys to areas fully controlled by ULA/AA.
13. Rohingya who arrived in Thailand in 2024 said that traffickers affiliated with AA members hosted
them in Ponnagyun Township and Pauktaw Township, where the AA has full control, before
continuing the journey to Myawaddy Township or Karen State and then to Thailand or Malaysia.
14. Along the route, many are subjected to torture and other forms of physical and sexual violence,
death and injury, arbitrary detention, and forced labour.
“During our journey by boat, there were around 300 people on board. We were not allowed to
leave the boat to get fresh air and had to remain inside at all times. Rohingya men were forced to
work on the boat. Food was provided only once a day, and it was very poor quality. Many Rohingya
women became sick due to the overcrowded conditions. We could not sleep properly because
around 300 people were packed tightly together, with no space to sit or move. We were forced to
walk for three days, and if anyone could not walk, they were beaten. When we finally arrived in
Thailand, my children were suffering from severe skin diseases and insect bites. We were all
malnourished, and my children were so weak that they could barely walk.”
Rohingya man, 36, Mae Sot
15. Rohingya in Sittwe Township said that human traffickers give false hope to young Rohingya,
including children and girls, by promising travel to Malaysia on credit and getting jobs. Along the
way, traffickers called families to extort money by beating their children or sending videos of
torture. Families often faced rising debts, extortion, and threats from traffickers.
16. Rohingya in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships who recently arrived in Mae Sot, Thailand said
that although they agreed to travel to Malaysia, traffickers left them in Thailand, which was not
their primary destination, while falsely claiming that they had arrived in Malaysia and providing
no support. Rohingya who arrived in Thailand faced severe challenges in their daily lives, as they
have no legal status to reside in the country, work, or access healthcare and education.
“I came to Thailand with human traffickers. They are partners with AA and AA allowed them to
traffic Rohingya people from Rakhine State to Thailand and Malaysia if they paid tax. In 2024,
when we came here, my wife was pregnant. The eldest one is 12 years old and youngest was born
in October 2025. Although we are planning to travel to Malaysia, we were abandoned by the
human traffickers in Mae Sot. We have been staying behind the mosque with a tent for months as
we do not have a place to stay. When we arrived here, it was very hot and we couldn’t even sleep.”
Rohingya man, 38, Mae Sot.
17. Due to the lack of legal documentation, such as birth certificates and legal residency permits in
Thailand, Rohingya children face significant barriers to accessing government schools, and many
are left without proper education and forced into child labour. Rohingya children and women also
face limited, and in some cases, no access to proper maternity care, reproductive health care and
vaccination services in Thailand due to their lack of legal status.
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