ARSA Condemns Clashes Between Arakan Army and Myanmar Military, Accuses AA of Using Civilians as Human Shields

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) has strongly condemned ongoing brutal attacks between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military that are causing heavy civilian casualties across various townships in Arakan State, with major incidents reported in Kyawtaw Township.

In a statement released on 01 October 2026, ARSA expressed condolences to the public being killed amid the fighting. The group said civilians are paying the price of terror attacks from both sides because of the presence of AA forces in villages where large numbers of people live. While the Myanmar military targets AA armed camps located inside these villages, the assaults affect both civilians and AA fighters. The public, ARSA stated, was supposed to live in peace but is instead facing brutal attacks from both parties.

ARSA noted that the Arakan Army had promised the Rakhine ethnicity a life of peace and freedom. However, even ethnic Rakhine civilians themselves cannot protect themselves and are suffering due to AA positions in crowded civilian areas.

The group accused the AA of using civilians as shields by stationing itself in densely populated villages. “This is not the way of fighting, protecting civilians, and giving peace to the public,” the statement said. ARSA emphasized that it does not use civilians as shields and never takes positions or maintains a presence in villages or any areas where civilians live. ARSA said it is fighting for the peace and freedom of every ethnicity living in Arakan State, regardless of background, religion, or cultural differences.

According to ARSA, civilians cannot protect themselves from Myanmar military attacks because they are forced to remain in place. The group claimed the AA is treating civilians “as tissue paper” and is also attacking other ethnic minorities such as the Mro, Chakma, and Diagnet communities while blaming the assaults on the Myanmar military.

ARSA further alleged that the AA forcibly recruits people, extorts money, and demands property, including 50,000 Kyat from each family in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and other towns. Due to continuous persecution of non-Rakhine ethnicities, more than 150 ethnic Chakma and Mro community members fled to Bangladesh on 18 September 2026, the statement said.

The group also accused the AA of forcibly recruiting Rohingya young women under the age of 18 from their families into its armed services and using them as labourers in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships. While AA-affiliated media outlets present photos of these women in a positive light to the world, ARSA described this portrayal as “absolutely false.” It claimed the young women are being used on the frontlines of war, forced into labour, and subjected to other forms of violence.

ARSA stated that it is clear the AA is using civilians as shields on the battlefield to attract international attention and support. The group denounced the terror attacks being carried out between the AA and the Myanmar military and expressed sorrow and condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the brutal attacks on Kyawtaw Township and other towns across Arakan State.

Based on the statements released by their official website (www.arsaarmy.org) and X account, ARSA Army Headquarters.