Rohingya Face Fear and Hope with Myanmar's Anti-Junta
Progress
Myanmar has become increasingly violent as armed groups,
driven by ethnic allegiances, intensify their fight against the ruling junta.
Since November 2023, these groups have made significant territorial gains,
challenging the junta’s control. While media narratives often paint these
advances as a beacon of hope, for the Rohingya Muslim communities, they bring a
mix of fear and apprehension.
The Rohingya, who have endured decades of persecution by
various Buddhist-dominated governments, now find themselves at the mercy of the
Arakan Army (AA), a prominent resistance group. The AA, seeking greater autonomy
for the Rakhine community, initially promised to embrace the Rohingya. However,
recent reports of targeted abuses and incendiary rhetoric by the AA have
shattered these assurances.
Last week, AA forces were accused of setting fire to and
looting Rohingya homes in Rakhine State. Over 200,000 people fled the attacks.
According to a Rohingya rights organization, the fires began on May 17, after
the AA had taken full control of Buthidaung, near the Bangladesh border.
Despite no junta forces being present, AA fighters reportedly torched 8,000
homes and ordered Rohingya residents to evacuate.
The UN confirmed these events, with James Rodehaver from the
Myanmar team for the UN rights office stating that the AA seized Buthidaung two
days after the military’s retreat. Sources in Buthidaung reported that fires
began just before an AA-imposed deadline for Muslims to flee. The AA has also
allegedly forced Rohingya to join their ranks, a tactic similar to that of the
junta.
Although the junta had vacated the area, between 40,000 and
50,000 Rohingya residents of Buthidaung were forced to flee due to heightened
conflict and conscription threats. The New Humanitarian sought comments from
the AA on these allegations but received no response.
Trapped in an escalating civil war, the Rohingya face
coercion by both the junta and the AA. Neighboring states have closed their
borders, leaving the Rohingya with no refuge. As Shabbir Huson, a Rohingya
resident, lamented, “We are completely surrounded by the Arakan Army, and we
have no means to leave the village or escape. Our only recourse is to pray to
Allah for salvation.”
In northern Rakhine State, AA insurgents have surrounded
villages, using Rohingya communities as shields against junta airstrikes, which
continue to cause civilian casualties. The AA claims to target Rohingya
villages only when they allegedly harbor Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)
fighters. However, daily clashes among the AA, ARSA, and the junta have led to
significant Rohingya casualties, often underreported due to communication
blackouts.
The AA’s leader, Twan Mrat Naing, initially promised rights
for the Rohingya but has since adopted hostile rhetoric. His inflammatory
social media posts, referring to the Rohingya as "Bengalis," echo the
propaganda of previous governments that denied the Rohingya’s citizenship. His
statements have heightened communal tensions and risk inciting further violence
against the Rohingya.
Accusations against the AA include numerous incidents of killings,
abductions, and forced displacements. Residents recount tragic stories of loved
ones killed or abducted by AA forces. In one instance, a Rohingya woman was
killed in Alay Chaung village after AA forces found her alone.
Both the AA and the junta exploit Rohingya villages as
battlegrounds, further endangering civilian lives. As the conflict in Myanmar
intensifies, the Rohingya remain caught in the crossfire, their plight
compounded by a lack of safe havens and continued abuses from all sides.
