coincidence. Defined as stateless, an ethnic outsider, and a Muslim without rights, the Rohingya
woman emerges as the most vulnerable target. And we must realize that the women were not
merely casualties of crossfire; rather, they have been actively and deliberately targeted.
It is well known that the Arakan Army resumed fighting with the Myanmar military on 13
November 2023. This is the third outbreak of hostilities in Rakhine State since 2018. In this
conflict, Rakhine has seen
cycles of violence, with the Rohingya community often being
targeted on account of their religious and ethnic identity. Other than mass killings, forced
displacement, and the destruction of properties, there are reports that indicate the episodes of
violence have been also accompanied by sexual atrocities of the Rohingya women. The sexual
violence is something that has been previously also committed by the ‘Myanmar military, in
which innumerous women from the community have been raped.’ There are credible reports and
testimonies that reveal the AA’s methods of sexual violence surpassed the cruelty of the military.
Human Rights Watch’s 2025 report notes that as conflict expanded into late 2024, Rohingya girls
and women were increasingly faced with sexual violence by both Military and non-state actors
such as the Arakan Army (AA). United Nations investigator Thomas Andrews in late 2024 also
reported explicitly named the Arakan Army committing rape, torture, killing, abduction, arbitrary
arrest, sexual violence against innocent Rohingya civilians in Rakhine State, Myanmar.
Therefore, the chapter and the analysis of the testimonies that follow is rooted in the voices of the
survivors of the sexual violence. We have seen in our testimonies that rape and sexual harassment
survivor recounted that the AA came into their villages in groups. In addition to revenge in which
their men did not obey the various demands proposed by the group, they also targeted women
based on their appearance. The systematic rape of Rohingya women by the AA in 2024
constitutes a war crime and a gendered dimension of genocide. These women who are
traumatized courageously offer crucial evidence to study sexual violence in a society where being
raped is seen as a matter of shame.
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