Myanmar Spring Chronicle – August 11 Scene
(MoeMaKa) August 12, 2024
Possibility of Impact on AA from Hundreds of Rohingya Deaths
During the period when the Arakan Army (AA) was engaged in the battle to capture Buthidaung in northern Rakhine State, incidents of arson against Rohingya homes in Rakhine State started to emerge, along with allegations of the arrest and killing of some Rohingya people. As the battle to capture Maungdaw, located near the Rakhine-Bangladesh border, began, reports surfaced of attacks on Rohingya villagers living in and around Maungdaw.
In the ongoing battle in Maungdaw, which is being prepared for capture, reports indicate that the number of Rohingya deaths due to artillery shells and drone bombs could range from at least 70 to as many as 200. Some media outlets have reported that local sources attribute these deaths to attacks by AA forces. These sources suggest that Rohingya villagers who were gathering to flee the conflict were the ones who lost their lives.
AA reportedly issued a five-point warning to the residents of Maungdaw and its surrounding areas, advising them to flee to areas under AA control rather than taking risks by fleeing elsewhere. The first point of this announcement stated that residents should seek shelter in safe places if they cannot flee the conflict zones, and that they should avoid being used as human shields by the military. The announcement also called for residents to report any armed individuals mingling with the displaced people.
This announcement was reportedly issued once in mid-July and again on August 7.
As Rohingya people fled the conflict, they increasingly sought refuge across the Naf River in Bangladesh, viewing the neighboring country as safer despite its lack of a welcoming refugee policy. Many believe it is safer than the towns and villages in conflict-ridden Rakhine State, and so they attempt to escape to Bangladesh.
If AA is indeed responsible for the artillery and drone attacks on those fleeing to Bangladesh, the group may face charges of war crimes that would be difficult to resolve in the future.
The Rohingya people, whose citizenship has been denied and who have long been oppressed by the military, are currently being represented by Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over charges of genocide related to the 2017 ethnic cleansing. While AA had previously maintained a positive policy and treatment toward the Rohingya community, its recent efforts to capture towns and territories in Rakhine State have been marred by accusations of mass killings and attacks with heavy weapons and drones.
Before these events, AA had worked to foster harmony between the Rakhine and Rohingya communities, appointing Rohingya leaders to govern their villages under AA administration. These efforts contributed to peaceful coexistence between the two communities. However, since the reactivation of the military’s forced conscription law in late February, when the military began conscripting Rohingya people to fight in battles in Rakhine State, the relationship between AA and the Rohingya community has deteriorated.
The military’s exploitation of ethnic tensions and forced conscription of Rohingya people for its battles in Rakhine has created an environment where AA and the Rohingya community are now in conflict. This situation has led to misunderstandings and, since May, allegations of AA targeting and killing Rohingya people, setting fire to their homes, and other such accusations have arisen.
AA’s current priority seems to be territorial control and military victory, possibly at the expense of other considerations. The group appears to be dismissive of recent war crime allegations involving attacks on displaced civilians with heavy weapons, failing to address or resolve them. However, the international community views these issues as serious human rights violations and war crimes that need to be urgently addressed.