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The feelings of local Muslims in Rakhine State, where AA are struggling to control
Burma’s military coup has sparked anti-military protests across the country. In the western part of the country, amid the fighting, local leaders are establishing themselves as effective governors and security figures within the state, and at least some Muslims are being persuaded to claim that they are superior to the military council.
However, this situation is becoming a concern for some other Muslims in Rakhine State. In Rakhine State, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh in 2017 as the military cleared the area.
For these people, these recent sectarian clashes are reminiscent of the 2012 conflict between the two communities.
Since the military coup on February 1 last year, anti-coup protests and uprisings have erupted across the country, followed by armed clashes.
Despite recent escalation of clashes across the country, Rakhine State has remained relatively peaceful. These circumstances create an opportunity for the Rakhine people, led by the Arakanese armed group AA, who are fighting for autonomy.
The AA has been setting up self-governing bodies in Rakhine State since the middle of last year, and has been cracking down on people living in the state. Robbery; He said land disputes could be filed for legal action.
A self-governing body has been established in Rakhine State and a judiciary has been set up, as well as a tax system. It is not surprising that all the armed ethnic groups have their own governing bodies in their area.
GENERAL TUN MYAT NAING, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARAKAN ARMY
In an interview with Prothomalo Alo in Bangladesh, General Tun Myat Naing, Commander-in-Chief of the Arakan Army, said that a self-governing body has been established in Rakhine State and a judiciary has been set up, as well as a tax system. It is not surprising that all the armed ethnic groups have their own governing bodies in their area.
Khaing Kaung San, executive director of the Wunlet Foundation, said the AA could take advantage of areas where the Burmese military could not effectively govern.
No one trusts the military. That’s why many people rely on AA when something happens. In addition, the AA has the ability to control the situation when there is a conflict between different communities, he said.
AA is also gaining more trust in the region. In an interview with the Bangladesh News Agency, General Tun Myat Naing also discussed issues between the Rohingya and the Buddhist Rakhine, saying that all were opposed to the Burmese military and that all in Rakhine State should be united.
Most Rakhine people are positive about the AA, but some Muslims are worried about the power struggle between the Burmese military and the AA, which they do not fully trust.
The military council is warning village administrators and village elders in Muslim villages not to join the AA. Members of the military council have arrested and detained locals under anti-terrorism laws for alleged links to the insurgency. Locals say lawsuits are being filed frequently.
Many Muslims are also concerned about recent developments, including the killing of a 14-year-old Muslim man and the killing of a local official.
Last November, an Islamic school and a dormitory were set on fire. Between January and November 25 last year, there were 13 fires in Maungdaw, 11 of them in Muslim villages, according to an official statement.
“Rakhine State seems to be stable,” he said. But in reality, Rakhine State is like a bomb that can explode at any time and there are many invisible problems, ”Phone Pyae Phyo, chairman of the Rakhine Students’ Union, told VOA from Sittwe.
Leaders of the AA and the Rakhine National League (ULA) have condemned the recent violence and said it was a cause for concern. Their group said in an official statement that no one had been blamed for the incident and that they would investigate and provide security for locals.
Tun Aung Kyaw, a member of the Arakan National Party (ANP) Central Executive Committee, said people in both communities were “very careful” to prevent the recurrence of sectarian violence like in 2012, and that no one wanted that to happen again. Some scammers are now using these incidents to create more problems. But leaders in both communities say they are working to stabilize the situation.
Despite the current tensions, for many Muslims, the military council is a bigger threat to them. The Burmese military has set up security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the city, and government permission is required to exit the township. Muslims there also say they have been barred from traveling to other states and divisions.
So far, you have to pay about 250,000 kyats to get a permit to go to another township in Rakhine State. “We are not allowed to go anywhere else,” said Mawlawi Tun, a Muslim in Sittwe.
Adu Malin, who lives in Buthidaung Township, says the living conditions of Muslims are deteriorating year by year and many are unable to find work and are heavily dependent on food aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“The AA Rakhine armed group came to our village and organized us to join them. “If they succeed and take complete control of Rakhine State, we will have equal opportunities.”
“We do not fully trust the AA, but many are watching the situation and will go to those who can create a better situation for them,” he added. They have nowhere else to go. He said he was afraid of the Rakhine army and had to obey their orders.
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