The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA),[13][14][15] formerly known as Harakah al-Yaqin (Arabic: حركة اليقين, lit. 'faith movement'),[16][17][18] is a Rohingya insurgent group active in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. According to a December 2016 report by the International Crisis Group, it is led by Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi, a Rohingya man who was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and grew up in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.[1][2] Other members of its leadership include a committee of Rohingya émigrés in Saudi Arabia.[19][20]
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army | |
---|---|
Leaders | Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi[1][2] |
Dates of operation | 2013[3] – present 9 October 2016 – present (militarily) |
Active regions | Northern Rakhine State Bangladesh–Myanmar border Chittagong Division |
Ideology |
|
Size | ~200 (January 2018)[5][6] 500[7][8]–600[9] (2016–17 estimates) |
Opponents | State opponents:
Non-state opponents: |
Battles and wars | |
Designated as a terrorist group by | |
Flag |
Myanmar's Anti-Terrorism Central Committee declared ARSA a terrorist group on 25 August 2017 in accordance with the country's counter-terrorism law.[21][22] ARSA is also considered a terrorist group by Malaysia.[12]
ARSA has been accused by Myanmar's government of being involved with and subsidised by foreign Islamists, despite there being no firm evidence proving such allegations.[23] ARSA subsequently released a statement on 28 August 2017, calling government allegations against it as "baseless" and claiming that its main purpose is to defend the rights of Rohingyas.[24] Despite this claim, ARSA members have been arrested for murders and acts of arson against other Rohingyas, particularly community leaders, residing in Bangladesh.[25]
History
editPrior to 2016
editAccording to an ARSA spokesperson, the group was founded as Harakah al-Yaqin (lit. 'Faith Movement') in 2013, following the 2012 Rakhine State riots.[20][3] A former member of ARSA described how he was recruited by the group's leader, Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi, three years prior to the attacks in October 2016. Ataullah had approached villagers, asking for five to ten recruits to join his group and telling them that the time had come to "stop the mistreatment of the Rohingya people". Prior to the October 2016 attacks, ARSA had merely patrolled villages armed with bamboo sticks, making sure that villagers prayed at mosques.[26] According to Rohingya locals and Burmese security officials, the group had again began approaching Rohingya men from various villages for recruitment six months prior to its first attack in October 2016, this time with the intention of training them across the border in Bangladesh for a future attack in Myanmar.[23]
2016
editIn October 2016, the group claimed responsibility for attacks on military posts along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, which left nine border officers and four soldiers dead.[27][28] The Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) announced on 15 November 2016 that a total of 69 insurgents had been killed by security forces in the recent fighting.[29] The ICG reported on 14 December 2016 that in interviews with ARSA, its leaders claimed to have links to private donors in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The ICG also released unconfirmed reports that Rohingya villagers had been "secretly trained" by Afghan and Pakistani fighters.[1][30]
2017
editBurmese state media reported on 22 June 2017 that three insurgents had been killed by security forces in a raid on an insurgent camp supposedly belonging to ARSA, as part of a two-day "area clearance operation" by the government. Authorities confiscated gunpowder, ski masks and wooden rifles used for training.[31][32]
In July 2017, the Burmese government accused ARSA of murdering 34 to 44 civilians and kidnapping 22 others in reprisal attacks against those ARSA have perceived as government collaborators. ARSA denied the accusations.[31][33]
On 25 August 2017, the group claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on at least two dozen police posts and an attempted raid on an army base.[34] The government gave an official death toll of 77 Rohingya insurgents and 12 security forces in northern Maungdaw following the attacks. The government stated that ARSA insurgents had attacked a police station in the Maungdaw District with a handmade bomb alongside the coordinated attacks on several police posts. ARSA claimed they were taking "defensive actions" in 25 different locations and accused government soldiers of raping and killing civilians. The group also claimed that Rathedaung had been under a blockade for more than two weeks, starving the Rohingya, and that government forces were preparing to do the same in Maungdaw.[35] The Myanmar Army also blamed ARSA for the killings of 99 Bengali Hindus in the Kha Maung Seik massacre, which occurred on the same day as the attacks.[36]
Over 4,000 ethnic Rakhines fled their villages on 26 August 2017, as fighting between ARSA and the Tatmadaw escalated.[37]
In late August 2017, the Burmese government accused ARSA of killing 12 civilians, including Hindus and Muslims, some of whom were suspected by ARSA of being government informants.[38][39][40] On 24 September 2017, Myanmar's military accused ARSA of killing 28 Hindus in Ye Baw Kya village in the previous month after they uncovered their bodies in a mass grave.[41] ARSA released a statement on 28 August 2017, calling government allegations against it as "baseless" and stating that ARSA only seeks to defend Rohingyas and their rights.[24] An ARSA spokesman also denied allegations that it was behind the killings and accused Buddhist nationalists of spreading lies to divide Hindus and Muslims.[42] Bangladesh meanwhile has proposed joint military operations with Myanmar against ARSA.[43]
A one-month unilateral ceasefire was declared by ARSA on 9 September 2017, in an attempt to allow aid groups and humanitarian workers safe access into northern Rakhine State.[44][45][46] In a statement, the group urged the government to lay down their arms and agree to their ceasefire, which would have been in effect from 10 September until 9 October (the one-year anniversary of the first attacks on Burmese security forces by ARSA). The government rejected the ceasefire, with Zaw Htay, the spokesperson for the State Counsellor's office, stating, "We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists."[47][48] ARSA responded on 7 October 2017 that they would respond to any peace initiatives proposed by Myanmar's government, but added that their one-month unilateral ceasefire was about to end.[49] Despite the ceasefire ending on 9 October, the government stated that there were no signs of any new attacks.[50]
On 9 November 2017, Myint Khyine, the Burmese secretary of the Immigration and Population Department, blamed the deaths of 18 village leaders in the last three months on ARSA in Muslim-majority Maungdaw and Buthidaung. The victims were village leaders who helped the Immigration and Population Department issue national verification cards to Rohingya residents.[51]
In September 2017, Bangladeshi sources stated that the possibility of cooperation between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and ARSA was "extremely high".[52] Bangladesh's Minister of Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader, stated during a reception organised by the nation's deputy high commission in Kolkata, India that his country was investigating the allegations.[53]
In November 2017, it was reported that members of the Rohingya diaspora in Malaysia were providing financial support to ARSA.[54]
2018
editARSA claimed responsibility for an ambush carried out on 5 January 2018 in the village of Turaing,[55][56] which reportedly injured six members of Myanmar's security forces and a civilian driver.[57][58][59]
In late November 2018, Hindu community leaders in Myanmar claimed that ARSA had been warning Hindu refugees in Bangladesh not to return to Rakhine State after Burmese authorities called for their repatriation.[60]
2019
editOn the 16 January, Myanmar state media reported that six police officers had been injured in an ambush by ten ARSA insurgents in Watkyein village bridge in Maungdaw.[61] In March, ARSA's leadership called for their followers to cease criminal activities in refugee camps in Bangladesh. This was statement was made in response to reports of killings and abductions in the refugee camps. Bangladeshi media blamed ARSA for the crimes, while ARSA denies any responsibility.[62]
2020
editReports circulated in May 2020 that ARSA had reformed in Maungdaw after several months of inactivity. On 2 May, the Myawady Daily reported that two Burmese police officers had been attacked by 41 ARSA insurgents near the Bangladesh–Myanmar border.[63]
Two alleged ARSA insurgents died in a confrontation with Myanmar security forces at the Bangladeshi border on 4 June. According to military spokesman and Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, the clash occurred during routine border security at Mee Dike village and began when around 30 ARSA insurgents opened fire.[64]
Three civilians were killed and six others were wounded when their vehicle struck an alleged ARSA mine in Maungdaw Township on 17 November.[65]
2021
editRohingya leader Mohammed Mohib Ullah, who had raised the issue of human rights violations of Rohingyas and was an opponent of ARSA, was killed on 29 September 2021. His brother accused the group of being behind the attack, but the group denied it.[66][67] The Bangladesh Police said in March 2022 that the group was behind it and assassinated him due to his growing popularity.[68]
Some Rohingyas told Reuters that ARSA and other armed gangs enforced their rules at night in refugee camps, abducting their critics and instructing women to abide by conservative Islamic norms.[66] An attack on the Darul Ulum Nadwatul Ulama Al-Islamia Madrasa in the Moinarghona camp-18, located in Ukhiya, resulted in deaths of six refugees and injuries to eight others on 22 October. Some of the eyewitnesses blamed ARSA.[69]
Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, stated on 19 December that he had received credible reports of ARSA killing, torturing, abducting and intimidating Rohingya refugees in camps. Bangladesh's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen however denied the group's presence in the camps.[70]
The group started reemerging in the Maungdaw region around November 2021, after allying with the National Unity Government formed in opposition to the military junta that took power after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Clashes broke out between ARSA and the Tatmadaw in November.[71]
On 7 December, 23 residents of Khone Taing village were shot at by ARSA, injuring one.[72]
2022
editSeveral images and videos appeared on social media in early-January 2022, purportedly showing more than 50 members of the group along with its leaders taking part in a military drill in Maungdaw.[71]
Bangladesh Police on 18 July 2022 announced arrests of Nur Mohammad, chairman of ARSA's fatwa committee, and Abu Bakkar, a commander of the group accused of the killings of Rohingyas in October 2021. The two were stated to have been arrested on 7 and 17 July respectively. Armed Police Battalion unit 14 commander Naimul Haque claimed that they had arrested 834 Rohingyas linked to ARSA in the last six months.[73]
Bangladeshi officials accused ARSA of being responsible for the killing of an intelligence officer and a Rohingya woman on 14 November during a counter-narcotics operations near the border with Myanmar. The group denied any responsibility.[74]
2023
editARSA and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) on 18 January 2023 clashed in a refugee camp, located near the Naikhongchhari Upazila in the no man's land of the Bangladesh–Myanmar border. One RSO member was killed and hundreds of refugees fled due to the fighting.[75]
The Armed Police Battalion arrested six ARSA members on 5 May, including ARSA commander Hafizur Rahman.[76] ARSA commander Hafiz Jubayer was arrested by the police on 10 May.[77] On 12 June, Sabbir Ahmed, an ARSA leader was accused of being involved in the killings of six Rohingyas in October 2021.[78]
ARSA was accused of killing Rohingya leader Mohammad Ebadullah on 6 July. Five ARSA members were killed in clashes with RSO in Cox's Bazar the following day, while the group was accused of murdering an RSO member.[79][80] ARSA and the Arakan Army (AA) clashed on 19 July in the Mayu mountains near Sein Hnyin Pyar and Gu Dar Pyin villages. The AA claimed that five ARSA members and one AA member were killed, with the AA seizing an ARSA outpost.[81] ARSA commander Hafez Nur Mohammad was captured by the Rapid Action Battalion on 21 July in Cox's Bazar.[82] ARSA commander Rahimullah Prakash Musa was arrested on 26 September, while Ataullah's personal secretary Mohammad Ershad Noman Chowdhury was arrested from the Kutupalong refugee camp on 2 October.[83]
2024
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024) |
ARSA began cooperating with the Tatmadaw in 2024. It was also accused of killing two civilians in Taung Pyo Let Wae town of Maungdaw Township on 7 March. Local residents then urged the Arakan Army to start "clearance operations" against ARSA.[84][85]
On 12 April, clashes broke out between the Arakan Army and the junta-supported fighters of ARSA in Buthidaung Township, resulting in deaths of at least 25 Rohingya civilians and 3,000 Rohingyas fleeing.[86] ARSA was also accused of burning down homes and kidnapping civilians in Buthidaung Township.[87]
Four ARSA members were arrested by the 8th Armed Police Battalion in Ukhia on 23 February.[88] Two militants, including a top coordinator and commander of the group, were arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion on 15 May.[89] Four members were arrested by the 14th Armed Police Battalion in a refugee camp in Ukhia on 19 May,[90] and an ARSA commander was arrested by it in a refugee camp in Ukhia on 22 May.[90]
According to the Arakan Army and Rohingya refugees, ARSA forcibly press gangs young men and boys to fight with the Myanmar military; most soldiers later flee.[91]
On 10 June, five ARSA members including Moulovi Akij, a top ARSA commander wanted for the murder of Mohib Ullah, were arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion in Ukhiya.[92] On 13 June, the Rapid Action Battalion arrested Zakaria, a gun group commander in ARSA, with arms in Ukhiya.[93] ARSA commander named Nurul Islam was arrested in Ukhiya with arms and ammunition by the Armed Police Battalion on 19 September.[94]
Ideology and structure
editARSA leader Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi stated in a video posted online, "Our primary objective under ARSA is to liberate our people from dehumanising oppression perpetrated by all successive Burmese regimes".[95] The group claims to be an ethno-nationalist insurgent group[3] and has denied allegations that they are Islamist, claiming they are secular[4] and "have no links to terrorist groups or foreign Islamists".[13][4] However, ARSA follows many traditional Islamic practices such as asking for fatwas from foreign Muslim clerics.[96]
In contrast to other insurgent groups in Myanmar, ARSA is not organised like a paramilitary. While other groups have military ranks and uniforms, most members of ARSA have appeared in videos wearing civilian clothes. The group is also ill-equipped;[97][98] it was reported that during their attacks in Maungdaw District on 25 August, most of ARSA's fighters were armed with machetes and bamboo sticks. The local authorities responded with automatic machine gunfire, heavily outmatching ARSA's weapons.[26]
Analysts have compared the tactics used by ARSA to those used by insurgent groups fighting in southern Thailand, namely crossing the border from one country to another to launch small scale attacks, then retreating back across the border to a community that shares a similar ethnic and/or religious background.[8]
Accusations of atrocities
editThe Myanmar government alleged in a statement that ARSA killed four Muslims, including a village head and a government informant, on 25 August 2017. The next day on 26 August, another Muslim village head and a Hindu child were allegedly killed when ARSA insurgents fired at a monastery. In addition, six Hindus were stated to have been killed when the insurgents attacked a Hindu family.[40] The Office of Myanmar's State Counsellor also blamed ARSA for the killings of five Daingnets on 26 August[99] and seven Mro people on 31 August.[100]
The mass-graves of 28 Hindus were found by Myanmar's security forces on 24 September 2017 near the village of Ye Baw Kya,[101] with 17 more bodies found on the next day.[102] Three relatives of the deceased said that masked men marched 100 Hindus away from the village before slitting their throats and pushing them into a hole. The relatives recognised some of the attackers as Rohingya Muslims, who told their victims they should not be in possession of official identity cards, which were issued by the government to Hindus but not to Muslims.[103] After the discovery of the bodies, the Myanmar government claimed the victims were killed by ARSA insurgents.[103][104][105] An ARSA spokesman denied the allegation that it was behind the killings and accused Buddhist nationalists of spreading lies to divide Hindus and Muslims.[42]
On 9 November, Myint Khyine, the secretary of the Immigration and Population Department, blamed the deaths of 18 village leaders in the past three months in Maungdaw and Buthidaung, on ARSA. The village leaders helped the department to issue national verification cards to Rohingya villagers.[51]
On 22 May 2018, Amnesty International released a report claiming it had evidence that ARSA rounded up and killed as many as 99 Hindu civilians on 25 August 2017, the same day that ARSA launched a massive attack against Myanmar's security forces.[106][107] The report alleged that ARSA insurgents armed with guns and swords were responsible for at least one reported massacre of Hindus in northern Rakhine State. Survivors claimed that in the village of Kha Maung Seik, ARSA insurgents killed the men, whilst the women were kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam.[108] It was also alleged in the report that statements given by Hindus immediately after the massacre were false, and that they were threatened by ARSA into blaming Rakhine Buddhists for the killings.[109]
The Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), a rival Rohingya insurgent group, blamed ARSA for 2020–2021 attacks against Rohingya community leaders in Bangladeshi refugee camps.[110]
Press statements
editARSA periodically releases press statements online, in documents and videos posted to its Twitter account. Unlike other insurgent groups in Myanmar, most of ARSA's written statements are exclusively in English, rather than in the group's native tongue (in this case, Rohingya).[8]
On 17 October 2016, ARSA (then under the name Harakah al-Yaqin) released a press statement online.[111] In a roughly five-minute video, the group's leader, Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi, flanked by armed fighters reads from a sheet of paper:
Citizens of Arakan, citizens of Myanmar, and citizens of the world.
It is no longer a secret that the Rohingyas are the most persecuted ethnic minority on earth. Throughout the last six decades, we have been subjected to genocidal mass-killings, and all kinds of atrocities at the hands of successive tyrannical Burmese regimes.
Yet the world has chosen to ignore us! Then again, the "resourceful" world has apparently failed to save us!
We, the sons of Arakan soil, who are compelled by our dire situation to follow our own destiny through uprising, self-determination and self-defence, stand as an independent body which is free from all elements of terror in any nature, seek fundamental but legitimate rights and other justice for all Arakanese, including our fellow innocent Rohingyas and other civilians dying from the continuous military assaults.
We categorically state that our people have chosen to free themselves from their oppressors, from the tragic deaths in the Bay of Bengal, in the Thai jungles and at the hands of human traffickers. We have also resolved to defend our mothers, sisters, elderly, children and ourselves.
We shall not rest until all our desired goals are achieved with the genuine help of the civilised world.
Six other videos were released online by the group between 10 and 27 October 2016.[112]
The group released a press statement on 29 March 2017 under a new name, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). The document included demands made to the Burmese government and a warning that if they were not met, there would be further attacks.[113]
References
edit- ^ a b c J, Jacob (15 December 2016). "Rohingya militants in Rakhine have Saudi, Pakistan links, think tank says". Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ a b Millar, Paul (16 February 2017). "Sizing up the shadowy leader of the Rakhine State insurgency". Southeast Asia Globe Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ a b c Winchester, Mike. "Birth of an ethnic insurgency in Myanmar". Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- ^ a b c Tarabay, Jamie (6 December 2017). "Who are Myanmar's militants? Five questions about ARSA". CNN. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Olarn, Kocha; Griffiths, James (11 January 2018). "Myanmar military admits role in killing Rohingya found in mass grave". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "'Beyond comprehension': Myanmar admits killing Rohingya". www.aljazeera.com. 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Katie Hunt. "Myanmar Air Force helicopters fire on armed villagers in Rakhine state". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ a b c Lintner, Bertil (20 September 2017). "The truth behind Myanmar's Rohingya insurgency". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ Bhaumik, Subir (1 September 2017). "Myanmar has a new insurgency to worry about". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ Mathieson, David Scott (11 June 2017). "Shadowy rebels extend Myanmar's wars". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ Kyaw Thu, Mratt; Slow, Oliver (28 August 2017). "With ARSA attacks, northern Rakhine plunges into new, darker chapter". Frontier Myanmar. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- ^ a b "List of Individuals, Entities and Other Groups and Undertakings Declared by the Minister of Home Affairs As Specified Entity Under Section 66B(1)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs of Malaysia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ a b Freeman, Joe. "Myanmar's Rohingya Insurgency Strikes Pragmatic Note". VOA. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Rohingya 'Army' stresses right to self-defence in first statement". Frontier Myanmar. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Myanmar's armed Rohingya militants deny terrorist links". Fox News. 28 March 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ Florian Weigand (2020). "International crisis & instant coffee: the Bangladesh–Myanmar border region". Conflict and Transnational Crime: Borders, Bullets & Business in Southeast Asia. Edward Elgar. pp. 75–101. doi:10.4337/9781789905205. ISBN 9781789905205. S2CID 226440207.
- ^ "Myanmar: A New Muslim Insurgency in Rakhine State". Crisis Group. 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- ^ Lewis, Simon (14 December 2016). "Myanmar's Rohingya insurgency has links to Saudi, Pakistan: report". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ "ARSA: The birth of an insurgency", Dhaka Tribune, 19 October 2017 Archived March 2, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "An army crackdown sends thousands fleeing in Myanmar". The Economist. 31 August 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^ "The Republic of the Union of Myanmar Anti-terrorism Central Committee Statement". National Reconciliation and Peace Centre. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Exclusive: Is this the final confrontation for the Rohingya?". Dhaka Tribune. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- ^ a b Lone, Wa; Lewis, Simon; Das, Krishna N. (9 March 2017). "Myanmar Says Foreign Islamists Instigated Series of Attacks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Thousands of panic-stricken civilians flee fighting in Myanmar's northwest". Japan Times. Reuters. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Two Rohingya men killed Ukhiya camps". The Daily Star. 14 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024.
- ^ a b Head, Jonathan (11 October 2017). "The truth about Rohingya militants". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ "Myanmar policemen killed in Rakhine border attack". BBC News. 9 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Rakhine unrest leaves four Myanmar soldiers dead". BBC News. 12 October 2016. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ Slodkowski, Antoni (15 November 2016). "Myanmar army says 86 killed in fighting in northwest". Reuters India. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Rohingya insurgency a 'game-changer' for Myanmar". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ a b McDonald, Taylor (22 June 2017). "Rohingya 'insurgent' camp raided – Asean Economist". Asean Economist. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "Myanmar forces kill 3 in raid on 'terrorist training camps': State media – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ Lewis, Simon (20 July 2017). "Myanmar sees insurgents behind Rohingya killings in northwest". Reuters. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Rohingya crisis: Finding out the truth about Arsa militants. BBC News. October 10, 2017 Archived February 14, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Deadly clashes erupt in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- ^ Heidler, Scott (29 September 2017). "Fear as Myanmar violence hits Bengali Hindus". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
- ^ "Over 4000 ethnic Rakhine have fled their villages as fighting between terrorists and Tatmadaw". www.mmtimes.com. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ "Ongoing Myanmar clashes leave 96 dead, including 6 civilians". ABC News. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ "Terrorist attacks escalate in Myanmar's northern state". Xinhua News Agency. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Death toll tops 100 in Myanmar's Rakhine as bloodshed continues". Kyodo News. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Mass grave of 28 Hindus found in Myanmar: army". Agence France-Presse. 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Myanmar says bodies of 28 Hindu villagers found in Rakhine State". Reuters. 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ "Bangladesh offers Myanmar army aid against Rohingya rebels". Agence-France Presse. Yahoo! News. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^ Judah, Jacob (10 September 2017). "Myanmar: Rohingya insurgents declare month-long ceasefire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ "ARSA fighters declare truce amid Rohingya crisis". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Rohingya rebels in Myanmar declare truce". BBC News. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Hundreds dead in Myanmar as the Rohingya crisis explodes again." Archived 13 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine 10 September 2017, The Washington Post in Chicago Tribune retrieved 12 September 2017
- ^ Smith, Karen; Marilia, Brocchetto. "Myanmar rejects Rohingya ceasefire offer". CNN. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Rohingya insurgents open to peace but Myanmar ceasefire ending". Reuters. 7 October 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ "Myanmar takes first step to ease Buddhist-Muslim tension". Reuters. 7 October 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Militants Kill Village Leaders Who Worked on Myanmar's Verification Card Program". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "As Rohingya deepens, Bangladesh fears Pakistan's ISI will foment trouble – World News". Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ Ghosal, Avijit (21 December 2017). "Dhaka probing ISI-Rohingiya terror link, says Bangladesh minister Obaidul Quader". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ Yusa, Zam (14 November 2017). "Rohingya in Malaysia funding Myanmar insurgent group, says source". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Paddock, Richard C. (7 January 2018). "Rohingya Militants in Myanmar Claim Responsibility for Attack". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Atta Ullah, who identifies himself as commander of the rebel group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, said the attack on Friday morning in Maungdaw had been staged in response to efforts by Myanmar's security forces to drive the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in a Buddhist-majority country, from the area.
- ^ @ARSA_Official (7 January 2018). "PRESS STATEMENT [07/01/2018] -Turaing Ambush against the #Burmese Terrorist Army in #Maungdaw -We are here to salvage Indigenous #Rohingya ethnic community with our best capacities" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 23 June 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Seven Wounded in Landmine Blast on Military Vehicle in Myanmar's Rakhine State". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "Insurgents attack Myanmar soldiers in Rakhine state, wounding six". The Japan Times. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "Insurgents attack Myanmar soldiers in Rakhine, wounding 6". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ Aung, Nyan Lynn (20 November 2018). "Bangladesh excludes Hindu families from repatriation: official". The Myanmar Times. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ Anon (21 January 2019). "ARSA terrorists ambush police vehicle". Mizzima. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Birsel, Robert (13 March 2019). "Rohingya militants condemn violence in refugee camps amid reports of killings". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ MATHIESON, David Scott (5 May 2020). "Curious revival of Myanmar's rag-tag Rohingya rebels". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Zaw, Htet Naing (5 June 2020). "Two ARSA Fighters Killed on Myanmar-Bangladesh Border: Military". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Min Aung Khine (18 November 2020). "Three Die in Landmine Blast in Myanmar's Rakhine State". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b Poppy Mcpherson; Ruma Paul (1 October 2021). "Killing of top Rohingya leader underscores violence in Bangladesh camps". Reuters. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Hannah Beech (2 October 2021). "Mohib Ullah, 46, Dies; Documented Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Armed group behind Rohingya leader's murder: Bangladesh police". Agence France-Presse. Al Jazeera. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Muhammad Ali Jinnat; F.M. Mizanur Rahaman (23 October 2021). "Rohingya Camp in Cox's Bazar: Six killed in grisly attack". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "UN rapporteur: Rohingya militants kill, abuse refugees in Bangladesh camps". Radio Free Asia. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b "An outlawed group resurfaces, raising new fears of clashes in Myanmar's Rakhine state". Radio Free Asia. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Video Showing Rohingya Militants Causes Alarm in Myanmar's Rakhine State". The Irrawaddy. 13 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Sunil Barua (19 July 2022). "Bangladesh police arrest 'most wanted' ARSA member at Rohingya camp". BenarNews. Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ Kamran Reza Chowdhury; Abdur Rahman (2 December 2022). "Rohingya rebel group ARSA denies killing Bangladesh intelligence officer". Benar News. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ Nazmul Ahasan (2 February 2023). "In Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, 2 Rohingya militant groups fight for dominance". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Abdul Aziz (5 May 2023). "Saleh Dakat: Top Arsa leader wreaking havoc in Cox's Bazar arrested". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Abdul Aziz (10 May 2023). "Top Arsa commander arrested in Ukhiya Rohingya camp". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Six-murder in Rohingya camp: Fugitive accused arrested in Rohingya camp". Dhaka Tribune. 12 June 2023. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Shaikh Azizur Rahman (8 July 2023). "Seven Rohingya Refugees Killed in Violence in Bangladesh". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Six Killed in Rohingya Camps After ICC Prosecutor Visit". Agence France-Presse. Voice of Americal. 7 July 2023. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Rakhine State Clash Reported Between AA and Rohingya Militants". The Irrawaddy. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ S.M. Najmus Sakib (22 July 2023). "Myanmar militant commander arrested in Bangladesh". Anadolu Ajansi. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "ARSA chief's personal secretary arrested in Cox's Bazar". The Business Standard. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ "AA urged to adopt clearance operations after tragic deaths of 2 civilians in Maungdaw". Narinjara News. 9 March 2024. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Greening, Paul (26 March 2024). "Myanmar's Junta Plays Both Rakhine and Rohingya for Fools". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Junta shelling, airstrikes kill 25 Rohingyas in Myanmar's Rakhine state". Radio Free Asia. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Wei, Brian (19 April 2024). "Myanmar Junta Using Rohingya Recruits to Sow Ethnic Hatred: Activists". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Four ARSA terrorists detained with arms from Ukhia". Prothom Alo. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "RAB arrests 2 with firearms from Arsa 'hideout' in Ukhiya". The Business Standard. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b Aziz, Abdul (23 May 2024). "Top Arsa member arrested in Ukhiya Rohingya camp". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Rohingya Forced to Fight Alongside Myanmar Army Tormentors. Agence France-Presse. May 29, 2024. Archived May 29, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Top commander of Rohingya insurgent group among 5 arrested in Cox's Bazar". bdnews24.com. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ "Arsa commander arrested with weapons in Ukhiya". RTV. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Aziz, Abdul (20 September 2024). "Arsa commander arrested with arms, ammunition". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ "Southeast Asia's Newest Rebel Group Calls Bangladesh 'Great Neighbor'". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- ^ "Pakistan-born leader of Arsa militants trained in modern guerilla warfare". The Straits Times. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ Erdoos, Faisal (13 September 2017). "ARSA: Who are the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army?". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ "Machetes vs machine guns: Rohingya militants outgunned in Myanmar". Hindustan Times. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "110 Killed as Rohingya rebels continue to clash with Myanmar army". EFE. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "7 more ethnic people killed in Myanmar's northern state, death toll rises to 110". Xinhua. 31 August 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Mass grave of 28 Hindus found in Myanmar: army". Yahoo! News. Agence France-Presse. 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ "17 more bodies found as Myanmar unearths mass Hindu graves". Agence France-Presse. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ a b Tun, Soe Zeya (27 September 2017). "Slaughtered Hindus a testament to brutality of Myanmar's conflict". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "Bodies of 28 Hindu Women and Boys Found in Mass Graves". Time. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- ^ "'Mass Hindu grave' found in Myanmar". BBC News. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- ^ "Amnesty: Rohingya fighters killed scores of Hindus in Myanmar". www.aljazeera.com. 22 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ Yee, Tan Hui (22 May 2018). "Rohingya militants massacred Hindus: Amnesty International report". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Hindu Rohingya refugees forced to convert to Islam in Bangladesh camps". India Today. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Myanmar: New evidence reveals Rohingya armed group massacred scores in Rakhine State". Amnesty International. 22 May 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ Ahasan, Nazmul (2 February 2023). "In Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, 2 Rohingya militant groups fight for dominance". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Faith Movement Arakan Press Statement", Arakan Times, 17 October 2017 Archived January 24, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McPherson, Poppy (17 November 2016). "'It will blow up': fears Myanmar's deadly crackdown on Muslims will spiral out of control". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Statement of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army". www.rohingyablogger.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.