Hundreds of Rohingya civilians, including women and children waving white flags while trying to flee fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, were systematically gunned down, burned and later confined under abusive conditions by fighters of the Arakan Army, according to a major new investigation by Human Rights Watch that accuses the armed group of committing war crimes.
The 56-page report details the May 2, 2024 massacre in Hoyyar Siri village in Buthidaung township, where Rohingya villagers attempting to escape clashes between the Arakan Army and Myanmar junta forces came under heavy gunfire.
Human Rights Watch said it documented the deaths or disappearances of more than 170 Rohingya villagers, including around 90 children, though researchers believe the actual death toll is likely far higher.
The investigation was based on interviews with dozens of survivors and witnesses, satellite imagery analysis and verification of photographs and videos showing burned homes, scattered human remains and destroyed sections of the village.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as civilians tried to flee after Arakan Army fighters advanced toward two nearby Myanmar military bases.
“First, my son was hit by a bullet,” one survivor told investigators. “Then my wife and baby daughter were shot, followed by my other daughter.”
Human Rights Watch said fighters initially opened fire on villagers leaving the area, including groups carrying white flags in an apparent attempt to signal they were civilians.
As frightened villagers attempted to retreat, the firing reportedly intensified.
Another survivor described how fighters later rounded up civilians in a paddy field beside a mosque before opening fire without warning.
“Within minutes they opened fire at us randomly, without saying anything,” a woman said.
“No one was spared. My husband was hit by a bullet. When the Arakan Army saw he was still alive, they came closer, firing at him several more times.”
Witnesses said many victims were shot while trying to hide in fields, bunkers and surrounding vegetation.
One injured survivor, Abdu Rahman, told investigators he watched from a distance as villagers were executed.
“I saw that the Arakan Army had gathered people in a paddy field near the mosque and forced them to sit and bow their heads,” he said. “Then they started shooting.”
The report paints a graphic picture of the aftermath.
Human Rights Watch analyzed photographs and videos showing skeletons, skulls and decomposed human remains scattered across multiple sites in the village.
Civilian clothing was visible among the remains, reinforcing witness testimony that large numbers of noncombatants had been killed.
One mother, Rashida Hatu, described returning later to search for her children.
“I went to the place where my children were shot dead,” she said. “I lost consciousness when I saw their remains. Their clothes were still intact.”
Satellite imagery reviewed by researchers showed the village was later completely destroyed by fire after the Arakan Army took control of the area.
Another witness, Zaw Kawriya, said he climbed a tree near the village edge to observe the fighting.
“From there, I saw large numbers of people being shot in the fields,” he said.
“I also saw the Arakan Army setting fire to the houses. I could hear the bamboo and wood cracking as the fire spread.”
The report also documented widespread looting, torture and allegations of abuse against detained Rohingya civilians.
Witnesses said fleeing villagers were stripped of valuables, including jewelry, cash and mobile phones.
“They grabbed every valuable we had,” survivor Majeda Banu said.
“They even tore our blouses and undergarments searching for valuables hidden inside.”
One detained Rohingya man, Kefayet Ulla, described severe torture while in Arakan Army custody.
“The Arakan Army fighters tied us with ropes and beat us severely,” he said.
“They blindfolded us and moved us by boat to a school.”
According to his testimony, one fighter openly used an anti-Rohingya slur while discussing the killings.
“I heard one of them say: ‘We had better kill all kalar [slur for Rohingya Muslims], or else we will not succeed in our movement.’”
Several witnesses also accused fighters of abducting Rohingya women and girls during the assault and subsequent detentions.
The findings directly challenge repeated claims by the Arakan Army that it only targeted military personnel or members of Rohingya armed groups.
In a response to Human Rights Watch, the armed group denied responsibility for the massacre but said it would permit inquiries by “credible and independent” human rights organizations.
Human Rights Watch said the massacre marked a dangerous escalation in abuses against Rohingya civilians even after years of atrocities committed by Myanmar’s military.
“The Arakan Army’s murder of hundreds of Rohingya civilians and the burning of their village took the conflict with Myanmar’s junta to a new level of depravity,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
The report said surviving villagers were later moved to makeshift camps under Arakan Army control, where many remained effectively confined.
Survivors who later escaped to Bangladesh and Malaysia told investigators they faced restrictions on movement, forced labor, severe food shortages and inadequate medical care.
Some survivors also alleged they were pressured into providing false testimony during a controlled media visit organized by the Arakan Army in an effort to deny responsibility for the massacre.
The report comes as more than one million Rohingya refugees continue living in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar after fleeing earlier waves of violence in Myanmar that the United Nations and international investigators have described as ethnic cleansing and genocidal acts.
Human Rights Watch warned that the Hoyyar Siri massacre demonstrates that Rakhine State remains unsafe for Rohingya refugees despite changing territorial control between Myanmar’s military junta and ethnic armed groups.
The organization urged both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army to immediately halt attacks on civilians, release unlawfully detained people and cooperate fully with independent international investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
