Rohingya Armed Groups and the Junta Connection
Fighting the Myanmar Military While Not Fighting Them?
Recent X posts of mine have drawn quite the crowd – and quite the vitriol. My unforgivable crime? Daring to suggest that ARSA, RSO, and ARA (respectively Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and Arakan Rohingya Army) are allies of the Myanmar military. Their supporters inhabit a universe where fighting against the Arakan Army (AA) under the command of the Myanmar military somehow doesn't count as fighting for the Myanmar military. Apparently, being equipped and led into battle by the Myanmar military is a mere coincidence, a parallel event with no real connection to the junta.
Let’s take a stroll through this alternate reality.
Rohingya who join the military directly are dubbed "Rohingya military." They are stationed with and led by the Myanmar military. The RSO, comfortably billeted in Maungdaw town school, are equipped and commanded by the military.The ARA fighters, that small and dedicated group under Abdu Halim, are also billeted in Maungdaw town, operating directly under military orders. ARSA is stationed just outside Maungdaw town. They have their own cosy deals with the military, and are of course engaging in battles against the AA.
At the peak of the recruitment drive, I wrote a story where I interviewed the family of three forcibly recruited Rohingya from the camps. That article revealed that the RSO were directly handing people over to junta forces. Recruits going to Myanmar are overseen by Bangladesh’s DGFI and NSI until they cross the border. If the crossing is via the NAF, then the Bangladesh Coastguard will also count them in. This applies to those joining the Myanmar military directly or joining RSO forces. ARSA forces have to clandestinely cross, given their current pariah status.
The mental gymnastics required to see all this as anything but collaboration are truly impressive.
It all began when I posted a video of 63 Border Guard Police (BGP) and Myanmar military personnel arriving in Teknaf. They were pushed back and I offered the analysis that it was further humiliation for the junta. The messages and insults came pouring in. "They’re not military or BGP," they cried. "They’re the terrorist AA come for medical treatment!"
Even after I provided a news story from a respected Bangla paper and video evidence of their uniforms, the naysayers persisted. "They stole the uniforms!" they insisted. Quoting Myanmar military commanders, they failed to see that their own arguments were unraveling.
My source is impeccable, leaving no doubt that these were indeed BGP and Myanmar military. But facts seem to hold little sway in this parallel universe.
Then came the map I posted, showing the bleak situation of the Myanmar army in Maungdaw. Cue the flood of WhatsApp messages and comments on X. The various replies to my post were a sight to behold. From "Rohingya armed groups are too busy fighting in the camps to be in Arakan," to the outright denial: "There is no ARSA, RSO, or ARA in Arakan." Here is a screenshot of the X post.
Let’s highlight a few gems contained in the replies:
Slippery Slope: "Don't give opportunity to AA. Remember, Cox's Bazar will fall into their hands!" Not calling out AA is tantamount to establishing Greater Arakan!
False Dilemma: "If Rohingya fight AA, does that mean they’ve joined the junta?" Conveniently ignores the crucial fact that Rohingya groups are under the command of the military, equipped by them, and executing their orders.
Red Herring: "Rohingya armed groups are busy fighting each other in BD camps." A perfect diversion from the actual discussion.
Argument from Ignorance: "If they were there, we should see their actions. This is imaginary." Because if you haven’t seen it, it clearly doesn’t exist.
Circular Reasoning: "There is no difference between the junta and AA." Claiming to fight both the junta and AA while in reality not fighting the junta at all is a wild assertion that ignores the actual dynamics on the ground.
Moral Equivalence: "Rohingya have the right to fight AA because they kill us like the junta." This argument grossly oversimplifies the situation by ignoring the distinct contexts and motivations. It fails to acknowledge that these groups are aiding the junta, not attacking it, and conflates their actions with those of the AA in a misleading way.
No True Scotsman: "I've yet to see evidence of RSO engaging in this fight." Dismissing any counter-evidence as not "true" engagement.
So there you have it. A romp through the mental acrobatics of Rohingya armed group supporters. It’s a world where up is down, black is white, and fighting alongside the Myanmar military somehow means you’re not fighting for them.
Some messages asked why I've never said anything about the Arakan Army. I pointed out to the senders that I’ve recently written four opinion pieces slamming the AA, but it counts for nothing to these highly blinkered individuals. Thus, I am now branded as a “5 taka journalist.”
Arakan Express News (AEN) isn’t spared either. Internet trolls have gone to great lengths to malign Aung Kyaw Moe, the creator of AEN and the deputy minister for the NUG’s Ministry of Human Rights. They’ve superimposed images of pigs onto his photos and labeled him as “gay,” “atheist,” and someone “working for the Arakan Army.” They’ve even created fake images of Nay San Lwin and Tun Khin holding placards saying “Call me Bengali.”
While these armed groups are not at all representative of the overwhelming majority of the Rohingya, they have given ammunition to the real detractors and created a huge set of problems for the future in Arakan. By aligning themselves with the Myanmar military, they have complicated the struggle for justice and autonomy, painting a distorted picture of the Rohingya community’s aspirations. This collaboration not only undermines the legitimate grievances and rights of the Rohingya people but also fuels further division and conflict in an already volatile region.
Other news
It appears there is a mobile data blackout in parts of Bangladesh. The nationwide anti-quota movement has shaken the establishment to its core. The videos of violence emerging from Bangladesh are truly horrific.
Finally, you may recall that I posted about my six years of harassment by Bangladesh intelligence. Here is a brief report by CPJ.
Funny and biting. Thank you.