ARNO condemns military build-up in Arakan, led by Myanmar Junta

The Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) has learned that the Myanmar military junta is deploying forces all over the Rakhine (Arakan) state in Burma.  ARNO is not surprised that barely after a week of visiting Bangladesh to continue to assess the feasibility of repatriation of Rohingya nationals, the military is now creating – what appears to be – a volatile situation with the Arakan Army.

Over the last few decades, the Rohingya people have become witnesses to coordinated offenses by the junta which inevitably lead to the death and murder of Rohingya people and innocent civilians. Media reports indicate that police officers are being arrested and that preparations are underway for a war. ARNO has been informed by Rohingya people in the Arakan that groups are claiming to protect, however, we know this is false and misleading information. The Rohingya remain completely defenseless and unprotected, once again.

ARNO calls upon:

• The UN Security Council demands a stop to all acts of violence within the country of Myanmar which continues to target ethnic minorities. The violence in Myanmar has continued to spill into the borders of Thailand, India, and China which will only lead to regional instability.
• The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) condemns these maneuvers, consistent with the 5-point Consensus, given what is likely to be coordinated and wanton violence, which will inevitably target innocent Rohingya people.
• For Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand who will be impacted by the violence and potential refugees to demand that Myanmar and the Arakan Army cease any plans for violence and all escalation of violence.

ARNO reminds the military junta that the limits of tolerating blanket impunity have been reached by the people of Burma. ARNO reminds the military junta and all other parties in Arakan of the Provisional Measures ordered by the International Court of Justice, the pending International Criminal Court investigation, and the universal jurisdiction cases in Argentina, Germany, Turkey, and the Philippines.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Mohammad Habib Ullah
Email: arno@rohingya.org/ info@rohingya.org