China has partially reopened KIA-controlled border crossings this week for food and consumer goods, while fighting continues in southern Maungdaw township. The Arakan Army (AA) is searching for three villagers who went missing last week, believed to have been kidnapped by ARSA militants. Meanwhile, a US-based NGO, Fortify Rights, released a report earlier this week accusing the AA of using forced labor from ethnic minorities, including Rohingya in Rakhine State. Fighting in southern Maungdaw township, Rakhine State, intensified as the AA continued their search for three missing villagers. These individuals were last seen during the past week and are believed to have been abducted by ARSA militants, whose bases have been previously identified in the region, according to a report from Myanmar War Map. Separately, China's decision allows the passage of food and consumer goods across KIA-controlled borders, though restrictions on fuel, electronics, and military equipment imports remain in place, as noted by Myanmar War Map. This development comes as Fortify Rights published a report on October 22nd, detailing allegations of forced labor by the AA, based on witness interviews, impacting ethnic minorities in Rakhine State.
