Prominent news organizations in Myanmar have received threatening messages from unknown senders warning them not to refer to the Arakan Army (AA) as an “insurgent group.” The threatening messages say that the AA is not an insurgent group, but an Arakanese army carrying out a revolution for the “Father Nation,” according to RFA.
Fighting between the AA, which is fighting Myanmar forces for greater autonomy in Rakhine state and is supported by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, and Myanmar forces reignited in late 2018 and exploded in early January after Arakan soldiers conducted deadly attacks on police outposts in northern Rakhine.
Since April 1, journalists at Myanmar’s Eleven Media Group, 7Day Daily, Mizzima, The Voice, Democracy Today, and Khit Thit Media have received the threats via social media messengers and email, warning them that they will face mine attacks if they continue to refer to the AA as an insurgent group.