Myanmar: Growing Fears Over Rohingya Fighters
| Publisher | Jamestown Foundation |
| Author | Alexander Sehmer |
| Publication Date | 28 October 2016 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 21 |
| Cite as | Jamestown Foundation, Myanmar: Growing Fears Over Rohingya Fighters, 28 October 2016, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 21, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/582b19a14.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Link to original story on Jamestown website
Gunmen killed nine police officers in a series of raids on border posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state on October 9, an area where tensions run high between Myanmar's Buddhists and its Muslim Rohingya population. The raids have prompted violent reprisals by the military, as well as the subsequent displacement of large parts of the local population and the withdrawal of aid workers from the area (Myanmar Times, October 11; Myanmar Times, October 18).
It has also raised concerns that the plight of the Rohingya could become a growing focus for regional jihadist networks. In the days following the attacks, videos circulated online, apparently showing militants in Myanmar declaring jihad on the government and calling on fighters around the world to join their struggle (Channel NewsAsia, October 14).
Local government officials originally blamed the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) for the attacks on the outposts bordering Bangladesh (Myanmar Times, October 10). While there is some suggestion the group wishes to claim responsibility for the attacks - this was indicated in a somewhat ambivalent Facebook post attributed to the group - the RSO has for years been largely dormant. Instead, the attacks have been attributed to the Aqa Mul Mujahideen (AMM), a little-known band of Rohingya fighters, which Indian intelligence officials say has links to Pakistan (Mizzima, October 19). AMM appears to have originated from Harkat ul-Jihad Islami Arakan, which is linked to the Pakistani Taliban and has operations in Bangladesh.
Militant jihadist groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba periodically make mention of the Rohingya's plight, suggesting there is a potential for greater links with regional extremist groups (Express Tribune, July 26, 2012). Further, Islamic State has been actively building its capacity in Southeast Asia, and harsh treatment in Myanmar makes the Rohingya vulnerable to such advances. The sizeable and frequently persecuted Rohingya refugee population also provides a pool of potential recruits already spread around the region. Their involvement in regional conflicts, such as Kashmir, has so far been fairly limited, but that could change (The Tribune, November 13, 2015).
Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made efforts to address the Rohingya's situation, including appointing an advisory commission headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to make recommendations on ways to end the tension and communal violence that has wracked Rakhine state (Myanmar Times, August 25). Even so, her government has generally been slow on the issue.
In light of recent events, they will need to move faster. So too, the crackdown by Myanmar's military, which has followed the October 9 attacks, must be tempered as it can only serve to further alienate the country's Rohingya population.
