The International Criminal Court (ICC) should investigate the Arakan Army (AA) for alleged war crimes against Rohingya civilians in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, including abductions, torture, killings, and beheadings, rights watchdog Fortify Rights said recently.
A new investigation by the Bangkok-based rights group accuses the powerful ethnic armed group, which currently controls much of Rakhine, of committing serious violations of international humanitarian law in villages and ad hoc detention centres under its control.
“The Arakan Army is responsible for widespread abductions, brutal torture, and the murder of Rohingya, some of whom were found beheaded, in blatant violation of the laws of war,” said Ejaz Min Khant, Human Rights Specialist at Fortify Rights.
Fortify Rights said it interviewed 39 Rohingya survivors and witnesses—including eight women—from April to July this year, in addition to verifying photographic and video evidence of the alleged crimes.
Killings and beheadings
One Rohingya man, identified by a pseudonym “Ahmed,” recounted how AA fighters abducted his brother during Ramadan this year. Days later, the family discovered his brother’s decapitated body in a forest near their home. “He was packed inside an empty sack of rice … his head was fully detached from his body,” Ahmed told Fortify Rights.
In another incident from April 2024, five Rohingya men were reportedly abducted from Abuja Hamlet in Maungdaw’s Tha Yet Oak village tract. Days later, their bodies—four of them beheaded—were found in a fish pond. A mobile video reviewed by Fortify Rights showed the bodies bearing signs of torture.
Similar cases were documented in Buthidaung, where witnesses described how AA forces announced the presence of dead bodies in Boriyong village. “I saw dead bodies in an open field … all had bruises,” one survivor said.
Detention, torture, and abuse
Survivors detailed harrowing accounts of detention and torture. “Abdullah,” 21, said he was beaten with sticks and wire, punched in the face, and left bleeding and unconscious. “They put a cloth in my mouth so that I couldn’t shout. My mouth and nose were bleeding heavily,” he said, displaying his scars.
Another survivor, “Shofiq,” said he was abducted from a mosque in January 2024 and tortured with bamboo sticks while in AA custody. “They accused me of sending information to the junta military,” he said, adding that at least five detainees died in custody during his 11-month detention.
Others described inhumane conditions in AA-run detention centres, including overcrowding, lack of toilets, and shackling of detainees’ legs for months. One detainee said: “Only when someone dies do they remove the leg cuffs.”
Denial and response
In response to Fortify Rights’ letter seeking a meeting, the Arakan Army rejected the allegations as “false and defamatory” and described them as “a malicious attack aimed at damaging our reputation.”
Despite repeated denials by the AA, Fortify Rights claims it has consistently documented war crimes by the group, including a massacre near the Naf River in August 2024 and an arson attack on Rohingya homes in May that year.
Notably, in January 2025, the AA admitted that its fighters had tortured and summarily executed two prisoners of war.
Call for ICC action
Fortify Rights argued that these acts violate both the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the ICC, which prohibit violence, torture, and mutilation of civilians. The group urged the ICC Chief Prosecutor to include the AA’s actions in the court’s ongoing investigation into crimes committed against the Rohingya.
“The Arakan Army must end its campaign of torture and killings of Rohingya in detention facilities and villages,” said Ejaz Min Khant. “If it wants to be seen as a legitimate revolutionary armed force, it must respect international law and protect civilians.”
In 2018, the ICC granted jurisdiction to investigate the forced deportation of Rohingya to Bangladesh. That mandate, Fortify Rights said, also allows the court to probe ongoing crimes committed by any group, including the AA.
