Rohingya Muslims have accused the Junta, currently facing a series of setbacks on battlefields across the country, of intentionally stirring up ethnic conflicts between Muslims and Rakhine communities in Rakhine State.
In Buthidaung Township, the Junta has forcibly recruited Rohingyas with dire threats, , subjecting them to military training and deploying them as frontline fighters. These Junta-trained Rohingyas have been forced to participate in the Junta’s despicable acts of arson, destruction, and the looting of homes.
Th Rohingyas have accused the Junta of coercing members of their community into engaging in subversive activities, aiming to sow division between Rakhine and Muslims and incite ethnic conflict.
A Muslim youth from Buthidaung said.“ I do not think the Arakha Army (AA) wants to be remembered for stirring up ethnic and religious tensions in Rakhine State's history. Past conflicts were sparked by previous regimes. The Myanmar Military fueled these ethnic and religious conflicts.Since the 2021 coup, the Junta has been actively pursuing that same agenda.”
The Junta's spokesman, Major General Zaw Min Tun, alleged on April 18 via Junta-controlled media, that AA had instigated ethnic conflict in Buthidaung. He assured that the Junta itself would not initiate ethnic conflicts, and categorically declared that his regime had ever engaged in such actions. He also stated that the Junta is actively working to prevent conflicts between local ethnic communities and Muslims in Buthidaung and Maungdaw.
In practice, the Junta is intentionally dividing Rakhine State out of fear that diverse communities, including Muslims, might unite and spark a unified revolution against it, a Muslim resident of Buthidaung commented.
"The Junta does not want Muslims to trust and support AA. I think it is trying to stop AA’s efforts to bring positive change. Even if it lost control in Rakhine State and AA took over, the Junta would still try to stir up ethnic conflicts covertly”, he said.
AA spokesperson U Khaing Thu Kha also accused the Junta of training and arming certain Muslim militants and provoking ethnic and religious unrest in the region through various means.
On April 15, the Junta troops and these militants set fire to the Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) office and pharmacy in Buthidaung, along with over 200 houses, MSF announced.
Currently, the fighting between the Junta and AA in Buthidaung is still fierce, and the Junta is resisting fiercely with airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling to retain control of Buthidaung.
"Buthidaung is where many of the Junta's battalions and divisions are based, so it is fiercely resisting losing control of the town. At the same time, it is also instigating ethnic conflicts”, a local Rakhine youth said.
AA, in its determined offensive to reclaim Rakhine State from the Junta, has strengthened its ties with the local Rohingya population according to both communities.
