Voices amid strife: Rohingya Perceptions of the Arakan Army, war in Rakhine, and justice in Myanmar looks at how the media portray conflict dynamics and how Rohingya community members experience and interpret the Arakan Army’s territorial struggle, the ongoing conflict in Rakhine, and broader revolutionary developments in Myanmar.
By Tin Mar Oo, May Thu, Zar Ti Nwe Nu Aung and Hilary Faxon
MYANMAR DIGITAL RESEARCH 14
Abstract
Since the 2021 military coup, the Arakan Army has emerged as a powerful armed force and political actor, with major implications for ongoing conflicts and the prospects for a future federal democracy in Myanmar. Before the fighting in Buthidaung and Maungdaw, the Arakan Army’s direct engagement with the Rohingya community was limited and their official statements often employed relatively inclusive language. Between 2019 and 2021, the Arakan Army initiated several social cohesion activities such as multicultural events and football matches in areas under their control, aimed at fostering interaction
between Rohingya and other communities. They also provided administrative training to village leaders in Buthidaung to support local governance and community organizations. While the Arakan Army typically refers to Rohingya as “Muslims,” reflecting a reluctance to acknowledge Rohingya identity explicitly, their use of phrases like “the people of Arakan, including Rakhine and Muslims” marks a notable departure from the overtly hostile rhetoric traditionally used by most Rakhine political leaders and parties.
However, these previously positive aspects of the Arakan Army’s relationship with the Rohingya have shifted dramatically during the recent conflict in Buthidaung and Maungdaw, where the Arakan Army launched indiscriminate attacks against Rohingya communities. This research systematically investigates how media depict these conflict dynamics and how members of the Rohingya community experience and perceive the Arakan Army’s struggle for territorial control, ongoing conflict in Rakhine, and the broader revolutionary landscape. Drawing on interviews with 40 Rohingya currently in Myanmar and Bangladesh, this report
highlights Rohingya people’s lived experiences, views of political actors, and hopes for the future.
Keywords: 2021 coup, Rohingya, conflict, media, politics, Myanmar
This Myanmar Digital Research paper was produced for the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) initiative, with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and with support from The SecDev Foundation. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of either organization.
Over the next two years, over twenty papers in the Myanmar Digital Research series will have researchers within and in the Myanmar diaspora exploring how the digital world is shaping their social, political and economic crisis, bringing new insights into issues facing Myanmar citizens. See below for others available now.