Among the many unimaginable atrocities committed during the second wave of genocide against the Rohingya people, one of the most horrifying massacres has now come to light after more than a year of silence and denial. On May 2, 2024, in the hamlet of Htan Shauk Khan (locally known as Hoiya Siri), part of the Atwin Nget Thay village tract in Buthidaung Township, the terrorist group Arakan Army (AA) launched a brutal assault, murdering more than 600 innocent civilians in cold blood.

The victims of this massacre included babies, infants, elderly people, women, including pregnant women, and persons with disabilities. Entire families were wiped out. In a cruel attempt to erase the evidence of their crimes, many of the victims’ bodies were burned, a tactic not unfamiliar in genocidal campaigns throughout history. For over a year, the AA has worked to cover up this atrocity, threatening survivors, blocking access to affected areas, and manipulating the narrative.

Now, over a year later, photographic and video evidence of the massacre is finally surfacing. These haunting images, smuggled at great risk, confirm what many Rohingya survivors have long testified. They are a chilling reminder of the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of mass violence in Myanmar and a testament to the courage of those who are fighting to preserve truth and memory.

This massacre is not an isolated incident but a part of a systematic and targeted campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide by the terrorist Arakan Army, aimed at erasing the Rohingya people from their ancestral homeland. It represents one of the most serious international crimes under the Rome Statute: genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

At Rohingya Student Network (RSN), we strongly condemn the Hoiya Siri massacre and we call on the international community to:

• Unequivocally condemn the Arakan Army’s actions,

• Launch independent investigations into this and other atrocities,

• Ensure accountability through international criminal justice mechanisms,

• And protect the remaining Rohingya population still trapped in Myanmar under daily threats of violence and displacement.

Justice may be delayed, but it will never be denied. One day, those responsible will be held accountable, and the Rohingya will no longer be seen as victims, but as survivors, with dignity, memory, and voice.