Rohingya returnee jailed after going back to Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (MNTV) — A Rohingya man who returned to his village in western Myanmar after seeking refuge in Bangladesh has reportedly been sentenced to three years in prison by the Arakan Army (AA), underscoring the risks facing displaced Rohingya attempting to return home.

According to local residents in Maungdaw Township, the man, identified as U Shwo Lu, was arrested by the Arakan Army more than a month after he and his family returned to Latha Aung Village.

The Rakhine nationalist armed group, which now controls large parts of Rakhine State following gains against Myanmar’s military, reportedly accused him of illegally crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

Residents said U Shwo Lu and his family had fled to Bangladesh during intense fighting between the Arakan Army and Myanmar’s military in 2024. Like thousands of other Rohingya civilians, they crossed the border to escape escalating violence before later deciding to return to their home village.

According to the Rohingya Khobor,  he was subsequently convicted of illegal border crossing and sentenced to three years in prison.

The reported sentence has heightened anxiety among Rohingya communities, many of whom remain displaced inside Myanmar or in refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh while weighing whether it is safe to return.

Residents said some Rohingya families have begun returning to villages in northern Rakhine despite continued insecurity, restrictions on movement and uncertainty over their legal status. Many hope to reclaim homes and farmland abandoned during successive waves of conflict.

The developments are likely to further discourage voluntary returns at a time when hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remain displaced.

Rights groups have repeatedly argued that returns cannot be considered safe or sustainable unless displaced families are guaranteed security, freedom of movement and protection from arbitrary detention.