Latest news with #ARSA
India.com
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Myanmar's civil war: Rohingya Muslims to fight the Arakan Army, fighters to be recruited from...
Myanmar's civil war: Rohingya Muslims to fight the Arakan Army, fighters to be recruited from... Myanmar's civil war: The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has affected Rakhine state the most. In Rakhine, the Arakan Army (AA) has steadily gained ground against the junta regime in the past months and has captured most of the state. The AA's stance has been against the local Rohingya Muslims. Due to this, Rohingyas have been forced to migrate in large numbers. The result is that many rebel groups have joined the junta in the fight against the AA in Rakhine. This may increase the crisis of Rohingyas taking refuge in Bangladesh. These groups are recruiting fighters in Bangladesh itself. According to the report, a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) says that Rohingya rebel groups have stopped the years-long war to control refugee camps in Bangladesh to focus on the fight for Rakhine. These factions are fighting against the AA with junta troops or allied militias. Junta suffered the most losses in Rakhine Rakhine state in Myanmar is the place where the military government has lost the most ground in the past 18 months. The Arakan Army has taken control of much of northern Rakhine and is preparing to take over the entire state. The junta is bombing resistance-controlled towns and cities with air strikes and trying to mobilize a former archenemy against the AA. In this effort, it seems to be getting support from Rohingya groups. The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group with a long history of persecution in Myanmar. In recent times, the Arakan Army has been accused of committing genocide and trying to expel the Rohingya. Thomas Keane, Melbourne-based ICG advisor to Myanmar and Bangladesh, has said that in the past six months, Rohingya armed groups have stopped their infighting in the camps in southern Bangladesh and have intensified the recruitment of refugees. These groups believe that the only way to return home is to fight the Arakan Army. ARSA will challenge AA A major group challenging the AA is the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). ARSA has become a major force in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. This is a huge camp on the Bangladesh border, where most Rohingya refugees live. ARSA has fought Bangladeshi security forces and other armed groups for control of the camps. Despite the long-standing opposition of the Myanmar military, over the past year, ARSA forces have fought against the AA in local media and ARSA representatives have joined forces with the junta in several operations. This has led to a rise in hate speech on social media, which could pose a new challenge to Bangladesh.
Gulf Today
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Bangladesh arrests notorious Rohingya militant leader
A Rohingya militant leader who directed attacks against Myanmar security forces which precipitated a humanitarian catastrophe was arrested on Tuesday by police in Bangladesh. Ata Ullah, 48, first surfaced nearly a decade ago as the charismatic leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an outfit formed to wage an insurgency against the stateless Muslim minority's persecution in Myanmar. Their attacks on police posts in 2017 sparked brutal reprisals that eventually sent around 750,000 Rohingya fleeing for their lives into squalid relief camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. The leader was arrested alongside five associates by the elite Rapid Action Battalion force on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, while another four of his associates were arrested in the central district of Mymensingh, police said. Ata Ullah was believed to have personally ordered the 2017 attacks and first came to public attention soon after in videos posted online, where he was seen flanked by masked gunmen and vowing to liberate the Rohingya from 'dehumanised oppression'. ARSA has been accused of killings, abductions, and torture in the refugee camps and the group's leader has been accused of ordering the murder of Rohingya civic leaders who dared to speak out against the group. He has also been accused of involvement in the murder of a Bangladeshi military intelligence officer. Tuesday's arrest came hours after a regional rights group said at least 65 Rohingya had been killed last year in clashes between rival militant groups competing for influence in Bangladeshi refugee camps. Ata Ullah's outfit, its chief rival the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and other militant groups have for years waged a deadly battle for control of the camps. Fortify Rights documented 65 deaths last year along with dozens of assaults, abductions and acts of extortion blamed on 'militant and criminal groups' in the camps. The figure is down from 90 killings recorded in 2023 by the rights group. 'Rohingya armed groups are wreaking havoc in Bangladesh and Myanmar with near complete impunity,' the watchdog's director John Quinley told reporters in Dhaka at the launch of a new report into the violence. 'It's not only infighting that kills members of these militant outfits. Civilians are also victims.' The report called on Bangladesh's government to investigate the violence and hold perpetrators responsible, saying that some cases amounted to potential war crimes that warranted possible prosecution by international courts. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh last week where he promised to do 'everything' possible to avoid looming cuts to humanitarian aid. Funding shortfalls announced by the UN food agency this month could lead to a cut in monthly food vouchers from $12.50 to $6.00 per person at the camps from April. Successive aid cuts have already caused immense hardship in the overcrowded settlements among Rohingya, who are reliant on aid and suffer from rampant malnutrition. Bangladesh has struggled for years to support its immense refugee population, and Dhaka has said it is exploring ways to secure additional aid for Rohingya refugees. On the other hand, India is resisting pleas by Bangladesh to resume issuing normal volumes of medical visas, citing staffing shortages amid worsening ties, six sources said, giving China rare space to expand similar offerings and build people-to-people ties. The bulk of India's visas for Bangladeshis in 2023 went to those seeking its affordable private healthcare and Bengali-speaking hospital staff, helping to cement ties between the neighbours and limit China's regional influence. 'When there is a vacuum, others will come and fill the space,' one of four Bangladesh sources, most of them diplomats, told Reuters. 'Some people are going to Thailand and China.' Since August, India has handed out fewer than 1,000 medical visas each working day, down from a figure of 5,000 to 7,000, said the sources, who all sought anonymity, citing their terms of employment. Agencies
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rohingya in Bangladesh pray for release of arrested insurgent leader
By Ruma Paul and Sudipto Ganguly DHAKA (Reuters) - Dozens of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh gathered to pray for the early release of a Rohingya insurgent leader arrested this week on charges of murder, illegal entry and militant activities. Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and some others were arrested on Tuesday during a raid near the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. An International Crisis Group report said Ataullah led ARSA's violent campaign in 2016 against Myanmar's security forces to reclaim the rights of Rohingya Muslims, who say they face persecution at the hands of Myanmar's Buddhist majority. ARSA attacks on border guard posts led to a military crackdown in Myanmar that prompted more than 750,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017. Videos shared by Rohingya Muslims living in refugee camps in southern Bangladesh showed men and women gathered at separate meetings to pray for Ataullah. A government official in Cox's Bazar, the Bangladeshi coastal city that hosts the world's largest refugee settlement, confirmed that the prayer meetings were held on Wednesday. "ARSA is the only group that has managed to put pressure on the Myanmar government," said Mohammed Taher, a Rohingya refugee. "Our voices and our plight have reached the world because of them. If they are working honestly for our cause, they should be allowed to continue." However, Taher said some people in the camps were happy with Ataullah's arrest because they believed it would improve law and order that has been eroded by factional violence there. Bangladeshi police said ARSA activities extend beyond insurgent operations, with some members allegedly involved in killings, kidnappings and smuggling within refugee camps in Bangladesh, where over a million Rohingya are sheltering. ARSA's presence in the camps has also led to violent infighting, with dozens of deaths resulting from clashes between ARSA militants and rival factions. Bangladesh says it is overburdened with the Rohingya and wants them repatriated. Myanmar's rulers view the Rohingya as foreign interlopers and have denied them citizenship, leaving little prospect of their repatriation from its South Asian neighbour. "To us, these people are notorious hoodlums. We (have) never believed they have any political foresight or political philosophy," said Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner based in Cox's Bazar. "We are confident that there will be improvement in law and order inside and outside the camps if we are able to combat them effectively. We are continuously working towards that."
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Rohingya in Bangladesh pray for release of arrested insurgent leader
DHAKA, March 20 (Reuters) - Dozens of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh gathered to pray for the early release of a Rohingya insurgent leader arrested this week on charges of murder, illegal entry and militant activities. Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and some others were arrested on Tuesday during a raid near the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. An International Crisis Group report said Ataullah led ARSA's violent campaign in 2016 against Myanmar's security forces to reclaim the rights of Rohingya Muslims, who say they face persecution at the hands of Myanmar's Buddhist majority. ARSA attacks on border guard posts led to a military crackdown in Myanmar that prompted more than 750,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017. Videos shared by Rohingya Muslims living in refugee camps in southern Bangladesh showed men and women gathered at separate meetings to pray for Ataullah. A government official in Cox's Bazar, the Bangladeshi coastal city that hosts the world's largest refugee settlement, confirmed that the prayer meetings were held on Wednesday. "ARSA is the only group that has managed to put pressure on the Myanmar government," said Mohammed Taher, a Rohingya refugee. "Our voices and our plight have reached the world because of them. If they are working honestly for our cause, they should be allowed to continue." However, Taher said some people in the camps were happy with Ataullah's arrest because they believed it would improve law and order that has been eroded by factional violence there. Bangladeshi police said ARSA activities extend beyond insurgent operations, with some members allegedly involved in killings, kidnappings and smuggling within refugee camps in Bangladesh, where over a million Rohingya are sheltering. ARSA's presence in the camps has also led to violent infighting, with dozens of deaths resulting from clashes between ARSA militants and rival factions. Bangladesh says it is overburdened with the Rohingya and wants them repatriated. Myanmar's rulers view the Rohingya as foreign interlopers and have denied them citizenship, leaving little prospect of their repatriation from its South Asian neighbour. "To us, these people are notorious hoodlums. We (have) never believed they have any political foresight or political philosophy," said Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner based in Cox's Bazar. "We are confident that there will be improvement in law and order inside and outside the camps if we are able to combat them effectively. We are continuously working towards that."
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bangladesh arrests leader of Rohingya insurgent group on criminal charges
DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh authorities have arrested the leader of a Rohingya Muslim insurgent group, Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi, on charges of murder, illegal entry, sabotage and militant activities, police said on Wednesday. Ataullah, the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and 10 others were arrested on Tuesday during a raid in Narayanganj district, near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka. According to an International Crisis Group report, Ataullah lead ARSA's violent campaign in 2016 against Myanmar's security forces to reclaim rights of the Rohingya, who say they face persecution at the hands of Myanmar's Buddhist majority. He has been identified by analysts as ARSA's leader and appeared in a series of videos claiming responsibility for the attacks on Myanmar security forces. ARSA's attacks on the border guard posts brought a military crackdown in Myanmar with more than 750,000 Rohingya forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017. Bangladesh police said the group's activities extend beyond insurgent operations, with ARSA members allegedly involved in criminal activities such as killings, kidnappings, and smuggling within the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh - home to more than a million Rohingya Muslims, the world's largest refugee settlement. The group's presence in the refugee camps has also led to violent infighting, with dozens of deaths resulting from clashes between ARSA members and rival factions. ARSA is also suspected to be behind the 2021 murder of Mohib Ullah, a prominent Rohingya leader who advocated for the return of refugees to Myanmar. His death was a blow to efforts to peacefully address the Rohingya crisis.
