The UK-based advocacy group Burma Campaign UK has called on the British government to impose sanctions on the Arakan Army (AA), accusing the powerful ethnic armed group of committing widespread human rights violations in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

In a statement issued on 25 February, the organization said the AA has been responsible for a range of abuses that may amount to violations of international law. The group also urged the UK government to support international justice mechanisms to hold the AA leadership accountable.

Burma Campaign UK further called on the United Nations Security Council to convene a meeting on the situation in Rakhine State and the wider Arakan region, where both the AA and the Myanmar military have been accused of serious human rights abuses. The group said a senior official from the United Nations human rights system should brief the council on the situation.

Following the 2021 Myanmar military coup, the Arakan Army has significantly expanded its control across much of Rakhine State after launching major offensives against Myanmar’s military. The group, which seeks greater autonomy for the region, has gained support among many communities for challenging military rule.

However, rights groups say the AA has also been accused of adopting tactics similar to those used by the Myanmar military. According to the United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, investigations have been opened into allegations that AA fighters carried out summary executions, torture and beheadings of soldiers and civilians suspected of cooperating with the military. The mechanism also reported gathering evidence of sexual violence, including rape against Chin women.

According to Myanmar-based media outlet Mizzima, documented allegations against the AA include massacres, drone attacks on civilians attempting to flee conflict areas, mass detentions, torture, forced recruitment, extortion and restrictions on humanitarian aid. Reports also claim villagers have been forcibly displaced, homes burned and civilians prevented from accessing food or employment.

The advocacy group also raised concerns about the AA’s activities in neighbouring Chin State, where it has reportedly seized territory and faces accusations of executions, abductions and sexual violence.

Burma Campaign UK said that abuses are not limited to ethnic or religious minorities. The organization claims ethnic Arakanese residents have also faced repression, including restrictions on internet access and arrests of journalists critical of the group.

The group further alleged that captured soldiers from the Myanmar military have been executed in violation of international law, including reports of prisoners being killed after capture.

“Allowing the Arakan Army to continue to commit human rights abuses with impunity only encourages them to think they can get away with more abuses,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. He added that private engagement with the AA had not produced meaningful improvements and that stronger international pressure was needed.

Burma Campaign UK is urging the British government to consider targeted sanctions against the AA leadership as part of broader efforts to address accountability for abuses committed in Myanmar’s ongoing conflict.

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