Rohingya Face Renewed Genocide as Myanmar Junta Crumbles: 1 Million Trapped!

• Rakhine State facing renewed genocidal threat
• Rohingya trapped, conscripted, facing violence
• Arakan Army accused, Rohingya displaced

Rakhine State facing renewed genocidal threat

Rohingya Face Renewed Genocide as Myanmar Junta Crumbles

On July 4, UN expert Thomas Andrews warned that Myanmar’s Rakhine State is facing a dire situation akin to the events leading up to genocidal violence against the Rohingya minority eight years ago.

Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council, Andrews, the special rapporteur on Myanmar, expressed deep concern over recent developments in the region. He highlighted that the junta is quickly losing ground to the Arakan Army, creating a terrifying situation in Rakhine State.

Rohingya trapped, conscripted, facing violence

Thomas Andrews highlighted the dire situation faced by the Rohingya people, describing them as “oppressed, scapegoated, exploited, and trapped between warring factions,” which echoes the lead-up to the genocidal violence of 2016 and 2017.

Clashes have erupted in Rakhine State since the Arakan Army (AA) attacked security forces in November, breaking a ceasefire that had mostly held since the 2021 military coup, following a brief democratic period. AA fighters have captured significant territory, increasing pressure on the junta as it contends with opposition elsewhere.

Andrews, an independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council who does not officially represent the UN, reported that the military has been forcibly conscripting “thousands of Rohingya youth” to fight against the Arakan Army. He warned that although many young Rohingya men have been forced to the front lines, the potential for retaliation from the Arakan community and an escalation of violence is immense.

Arakan Army accused, Rohingya displaced

Thomas Andrews reported that there have been allegations linking Arakan Army (AA) soldiers to human rights violations against Rohingya civilians, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation for both the Rohingya and Rakhine populations.

Andrews noted that “tens, if not hundreds of thousands” of people have been displaced in Rakhine State. In May, the AA claimed to have taken control of Buthidaung, a town in northern Rakhine with a significant Rohingya Muslim population.

Subsequently, several Rohingya diaspora groups accused the AA of forcing Rohingya to flee and then looting and burning their homes, accusations that the AA dismissed as “propaganda.”

The AA, which aims to achieve autonomy for the state’s ethnic Rakhine population, has pledged to capture the entire state.