In Buthidaung Township of Rakhine State, the Junta compelled Muslim residents to participate in protests, brandishing placards and banners denouncing the Arakan Army (AA).
Local witnesses disclosed that the protest held on March 19 in the streets of Buthidaung, was organized by Junta forces providing security for the anti- AA rally..
“The protest of 200 Muslim youths expressing their opposition to AA and individuals. The protest was orchestrated from behind the scenes by the Junta,.” according to a Buthidaung resident.
U Aung Kyaw Moe, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Human Rights in the National Unity Government (NUG),posted on his social media page that, "The terrorist Junta’s orchestration of the recent protest against ULA/AA (United League of Arakan/Arakan Army) in Buthidaung Township is a cunning move to divert attention from its setbacks against ULA/AA, using the Rohingya community as a scapegoat.
The enlistment of Rohingya youths as conscripts, their forced military training, and coercion into participating in protests solely serve the interests of the Junta.”
Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships have Rohingya Muslim-majority populations, that suffered Junta's ethnic cleansing operations in 2017 when approximately 700,000 people were forced to flee to Bangladesh during the genocide.
"Muslims have asserted claims of genocide against the military, filing a case at the ICC (International Criminal Court) for crimes against humanity. Yet they are cooperating with and supporting Junta responsible for this genocide. Deciphering their true intentions remains a mystery”, said another Buthidaung resident..
However there is far more clarity from the statement of Aung Kyaw Moe, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Human Rights in the National Unity Government (NUG)
U Aung Kyaw Moe said “ . This juncture is pivotal for the Rohingya people, and it is imperative that we uphold our esteemed legacy of advocating for truth and justice.
The anti – AA rally on of the recent protest against ULA/AA (United League of Arakan/Arakan Army) in Buthidaung Township is a cunning move to divert attention from its setbacks against ULA/AA, using the Rohingya community as a scapegoat.The enlistment of Rohingya youths as conscripts, their forced military training, and coercion into participating in protests solely serve the interests of the Junta.”
AA has extending an offer to Muslim youths in Rakhine State to seek refuge in AA-controlled areas if they are compelled to serve in the military by the Junta.
On March 20, in the aftermath of the Rathedaung battle, AA uncovered dead bodies of Muslims in Junta uniforms, suggesting their participation in the fighting.
A Buthidaung resident informed Narinjara that around 60 soldiers and the Junta-affiliated Muslims entered Ward No. 4 in Buthidaung Township around 11:00 PM on March 18, looting the home of a former NGO employee. They also forcibly demolished several houses, including that of a lawyer, and smashed car windows.
Most local Muslims oppose collaboration with the Junta and locals stress the importance of understanding the long history of the Junta is manipulating ethnic and religious conflicts as part of a divide- and rule tactic.
Currently, ongoing fighting between AA and the Junta forces is taking place in Buthidaung, with AA launching a fierce offensive against the 522nd Light Infantry Battalion.
