On 19 September 2022, the Arakan Army’s political organization United League of Arakan (ULA) gave a dramatic message in an online press conference, where the ULA official said, “Global platforms have to sit with AA/ULA in order to solve and understand any problems of Arakan.” In addition they (ULA/AA) claimed that if Rohingyas are to be repatriated, Bangladesh should recognize the Arakan Army and hold talks.
Analysts say, “Such messages from the Arakan Army indicate two things. First, the organization has been able to build a strong base in Arakan within Myanmar. Another is that they want the world’s attention to the crisis in Myanmar.” Apart from this, some think that such comments by the Arakan Army may be a future indication of the new polarization of the Myanmar border, the Somakal reports.
Several experts who monitor the border situation told the reporters that the Arakan Army is the most well-organized of the armed groups in Myanmar. They have grown stronger over the years by using the advantage of the weakness of the junta government. Apart from this, they have great control over the areas of Myanmar where the Rohingyas are supposed to be repatriated. However, the Arakan Army never supported the Rohingya. The armed group calls the Rohingyas ‘Arakani Muslims’. So they have a kind of distance with the Rohingyas. However, like the junta government, they engage in multi-faceted conspiracies with the Rohingyas from time to time.
In this regard, security analyst Major (retd.) Emdadul Islam said, “Where was the Arakan Army when the houses of the Rohingyas were burnt down, killed and raped and driven out with destruction? Stay away from resistance, they didn’t even make a statement. Now suddenly Arakan Army is talking about Rohingyas. This is their strategy. Geopolitically they are working on behalf of a self-interested group.”
Alam, a Rohingya Leda refugee camp in Teknaf who fled Myanmar in 1996 said that the Arakan Army and the Myanmar junta are trying to drive out the Rohingyas who are still there in the country and occupy the Arakan state. Recently what AA is saying on Rohingya issue is nothing except diplomacy.
“Rakhine budhists and junta government intentionally forced us to be refugee here in Bangladesh. In this situation, the Rohingyas still staying in Rakhine state are unsafe. Junta will force them to flee the country anytime. They want to root out the Rohingya people completely from the soil of Arakan,” Alam added.
Mohammed a refugee from Nayapara camp told Rohingya Khobor (RK) that “nowadays, the Rohingya issue became a ‘political issue,’ instead of humanitarian fact all over the world. For which some interested Rakhine rebel groups are trying to draw international attention and to get recognition by exploiting the weakness of underprivileged Rohingyas.”
The ongoing crisis inside Myanmar is gradually intensifying. The country’s armed separatist groups divided into multiple fronts are fighting against the junta government. They are looking for a new ‘trump card’ of Myanmar in the emerging situation. Arakan Army is eager to draw international attention to the problem across the border with such a strategy.
