➔ Situation and the Siege of Villages Between March and December 2024, the AA made significant territorial gains across Rakhine State, capturing key towns like Ponnagyun, Ramree, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Maungdaw and eventually Gwa. These victories allowed the AA to encircle Sittwe and consolidate control over much of the Rakhine. Following the fall of Buthidaung, large-scale arson attacks were reported by Kalardan Press Network (First Rohingya News Agency since 2001), with witnesses accusing the AA of targeting Rohingya Villages, their homes, and properties. Witnesses from multiple villages Kuandaung (Kwan Dine) , Paundo Prang (Hpaung Daw Pyin), Ward No. 5 Maungdaw report coordinated attacks involving raids, looting, and arson. In late April, as is well known, the Arakan Army forces began attacking Rohingya villages in Buthidaung, culminating in their May 17 2024 capture of the town, during which it has been reported that they ‘burned, shelled, looted and contained Rohingya neighborhoods’. The containment and violence in villages could be better understood through Mohammad Shorif Amin’s testimony. In his testimony, he asserts that the AA currently controls his village, having taken over in mid-year 2024 after a series of violent raids. He states that the AA maintains control through fear and intimidation, forcing villagers to follow their demands. Those who don't accept are forced to comply under the threat of violence. They have been using the village as a base of operations, restricting movement, and demanding resources from those who remain. Nur Hakim also testifies that the village of Ward No. 5, Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, was besieged and attacked by both the AA and the Myanmar military. The AA entered from the north, while the military junta advanced from the east and south. Both groups warned the villagers to evacuate, stating that a battle would soon begin. However, with no safe place to flee, the Rohingya residents locked themselves inside their homes. Soon after, heavy clashes erupted between the two-armed factions. In their operations, both groups use modern, sophisticated weapons against each other. However, all Rohingya residents have been forcibly evicted, leaving the village completely abandoned. The AA’s treatment of the Rohingya has been far more brutal than that of the military junta, as they directly caused the mass displacement and forced exile of the community. 35