{"id":5413,"date":"2025-03-20T02:50:40","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T20:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=5413"},"modified":"2025-03-20T02:50:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T20:20:40","slug":"arsa-founder-and-nine-others-arrested-in-bangladesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/03\/arsa-founder-and-nine-others-arrested-in-bangladesh\/","title":{"rendered":"ARSA Founder and Nine Others Arrested in Bangladesh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 18 Overview<\/h3>\n

MoeMaKa, March 19, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

ARSA Founder and Nine Others Arrested in Bangladesh<\/h4>\n

Ata Ullah Abu Ammar Jununi, the founder and leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), was arrested by Bangladesh\u2019s elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on March 18<\/strong>. ARSA, a Rohingya armed group, launched attacks on Myanmar border guard posts in October 2016<\/strong> and August 2017<\/strong>, which led to violent military crackdowns and mass atrocities against the Rohingya population.<\/p>\n

After more than a decade of operating from Bangladesh, where ARSA carried out guerrilla attacks, assassinations, and other violent activities<\/strong> in Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine State, this arrest has raised speculation about whether Bangladesh is shifting its policy<\/strong> on Rohingya insurgents and armed groups active along the border.<\/p>\n

Despite ARSA\u2019s claims of fighting for Rohingya rights, the group has been accused of targeting Rohingya leaders<\/strong> in refugee camps and villages in Rakhine, killing those who oppose them. In late 2023 and early 2024<\/strong>, as fighting between Myanmar\u2019s junta forces and the Arakan Army (AA)<\/strong> intensified, ARSA was alleged to have either collaborated with the junta or engaged in counterattacks<\/strong> against AA\u2019s offensives.<\/p>\n

ARSA\u2019s History and Controversy<\/h4>\n

Some countries classify ARSA as a terrorist organization<\/strong>, citing its jihadist ideology and armed operations<\/strong>. Ata Ullah, the arrested leader, was born in Karachi, Pakistan<\/strong>, and later moved to Saudi Arabia, where he founded ARSA before establishing operations in Rakhine\u2019s northern border areas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Rohingya community, including refugees in Bangladesh and those inside Rakhine State, do not universally support ARSA<\/strong>. Many oppose the group\u2019s violent actions<\/strong>, and those who speak out against it have been kidnapped or assassinated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For over a decade, Bangladesh tolerated ARSA\u2019s movements<\/strong> across its border, despite knowing about the group\u2019s activities in refugee camps. The timing of Ata Ullah\u2019s arrest<\/strong> now raises questions: Why now? What prompted this action?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Political Implications<\/h4>\n

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which made the arrest, was formed in 2004<\/strong> and has been accused of extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses<\/strong>. This arrest also comes just days after a UN Secretary-General\u2019s visit to Rohingya refugee camps<\/strong>, where discussions included engagement with the Arakan Army (AA)<\/strong>\u2014the ethnic armed group that has taken control of large parts of Rakhine State.<\/p>\n

With AA successfully capturing Myanmar military bases<\/strong>, Bangladesh\u2019s arrest of ARSA\u2019s leader may indicate a strategic policy shift<\/strong> in dealing with the Rohingya crisis and armed groups in the region.<\/p>\n

Some observers speculate that this move could pave the way for accountability at the International Criminal Court (ICC)<\/strong> for both ARSA\u2019s crimes and the junta\u2019s collaboration with the group<\/strong>. Others, however, caution that Bangladesh\u2019s political motives remain unclear<\/strong>, leaving room for further developments in this complex geopolitical landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 18 Overview MoeMaKa, March 19, 2025 ARSA Founder and Nine Others Arrested in Bangladesh Ata Ullah Abu Ammar Jununi, the founder and leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), was arrested by Bangladesh\u2019s elite…<\/p>\n

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