Arakan Army: Myanmar's New Front of Conflict
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U.S. Relations with Burma: Key Issues in 2019
Updated May 8, 2019 U.S. Relations with Burma: Key Issues in 2019 In 2018, the 115th Congress was generally critical of the Figure 1. Map of Burma (Myanmar) Trump Administration’s Burma policy, particularly its limited response to atrocities committed by the Burmese military, intensifying conflict with ethnic insurgencies, and rising concerns about political repression and civil rights. In December 2018, Congress passed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-409), which prohibits funding for International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) Program in Burma for fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Major Developments in Burma At the end of 2018, an estimated one million Rohingya, most of whom fled atrocities committed by Burma’s military (Tatmadaw) in late 2017, remained in refugee camps in Bangladesh, unable and unwilling to return to Burma’s Rakhine State given the current policies of the Burmese government. Also in 2018, fighting between Burma’s military and various ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) escalated in Kachin and Shan States, and spread into Chin, Karen (Kayin), and Rakhine States, while efforts to negotiate a nationwide ceasefire stalled. The Rohingya Crises Continue More than 700,000 Sunni Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in late 2017, seeking to escape Tatmadaw forces that destroyed almost 400 Rohingya villages, killed at least 6,700 Rohingya (according to human rights groups and Doctors Without Borders), and sexually assaulted hundreds of Rohingya women and girls. Repatriation under an October 2018 agreement between the two nations is stalled as the Burmese government is unable or unwilling to Source: CRS establish conditions that would allow the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of the Rohingya. -
Rohingya Crisis: an Analysis Through a Theoretical Perspective
International Relations and Diplomacy, July 2020, Vol. 8, No. 07, 321-331 doi: 10.17265/2328-2134/2020.07.004 D D AV I D PUBLISHING Rohingya Crisis: An Analysis Through a Theoretical Perspective Sheila Rai, Preeti Sharma St. Xavier’s College, Jaipur, India The large scale exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand as a consequence of relentless persecution by the Myanmar state has gained worldwide attention. UN Secretary General, Guterres called it “ethnic cleansing” and the “humanitarian situation as catastrophic”. This catastrophic situation can be traced back to the systemic and structural violence perpetrated by the state and the society wherein the Burmans and Buddhism are taken as the central rallying force of the narrative of the nation-state. This paper tries to analyze the Rohingya discourse situating it in the theoretical precepts of securitization, structural violence, and ethnic identity. The historical antecedents and particular circumstances and happenings were construed selectively and systematically to highlight the ethnic, racial, cultural, and linguistic identity of Rohingyas to exclude them from the “national imagination” of the state. This culture of pervasive prejudice prevailing in Myanmar finds manifestation in the legal provisions whereby certain peripheral minorities including Rohingyas have been denied basic civil and political rights. This legal-juridical disjunction to seal the historical ethnic divide has institutionalized and structuralized the inherent prejudice leveraging the religious-cultural hegemony. The newly instated democratic form of government, by its very virtue of the call of the majority, has also been contributed to reinforce this schism. The armed attacks by ARSA has provided the tangible spur to the already nuanced systemic violence in Myanmar and the Rohingyas are caught in a vicious cycle of politicization of ethnic identity, structural violence, and securitization. -
The Chittagonians in Colonial Arakan: Seasonal and Settlement Migrations Jacques Leider
The Chittagonians in Colonial Arakan: Seasonal and Settlement Migrations Jacques Leider To cite this version: Jacques Leider. The Chittagonians in Colonial Arakan: Seasonal and Settlement Migrations. Morten Bergsmo; Wolfgang Kaleck; Kyaw Yin Hlaing. Colonial Wrongs and Access to International Law, 40, Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher, pp.177-227, 2020, Publication Series, 978-82-8348-134-1. hal- 02997366 HAL Id: hal-02997366 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02997366 Submitted on 10 Nov 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Public Domain Colonial Wrongs and Access to International Law Morten Bergsmo, Wolfgang Kaleck and Kyaw Yin Hlaing (editors) E-Offprint: Jacques P. Leider, “The Chittagonians in Colonial Arakan: Seasonal and Settlement Migrations”, in Morten Bergsmo, Wolfgang Kaleck and Kyaw Yin Hlaing (editors), Colonial Wrongs and Access to International Law, Torkel Opsahl Academic EPub- lisher, Brussels, 2020 (ISBNs: 978-82-8348-133-4 (print) and 978-82-8348-134-1 (e- book)). This publication was first published on 9 November 2020. TOAEP publications may be openly accessed and downloaded through the web site https://www.toaep.org which uses Persistent URLs (PURLs) for all publications it makes available. -
Militarized Conflicts in Northern Shan State
A Return to War: Militarized Conflicts in Northern Shan State ASIA PAPER May 2018 EUROPEAN UNION A Return to War: Militarized Conflicts in Northern Shan State © Institute for Security and Development Policy V. Finnbodavägen 2, Stockholm-Nacka, Sweden www.isdp.eu “A Return to War: Militarized Conflicts in Northern Shan State” is an Asia Paper published by the published by the Institute for Security and Development Policy. The Asia Paper Series is the Occasional Paper series of the Institute’s Asia Program, and addresses topical and timely subjects. The Institute is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and cooperates closely with research centers worldwide. The Institute serves a large and diverse community of analysts, scholars, policy-watchers, business leaders, and journalists. It is at the forefront of research on issues of conflict, security, and development. Through its applied research, publications, research cooperation, public lectures, and seminars, it functions as a focal point for academic, policy, and public discussion. This publication has been produced with funding by the European Union. The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the paper lies entirely with the authors. No third-party textual or artistic material is included in the publication without the copyright holder’s prior consent to further dissemination by other third parties. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. © European Union and ISDP, 2018 Printed in Lithuania ISBN: 978-91-88551-11-5 Cover photo: Patrick Brown patrickbrownphoto.com Distributed in Europe by: Institute for Security and Development Policy Västra Finnbodavägen 2, 131 30 Stockholm-Nacka, Sweden Tel. -
Migration from Bengal to Arakan During British Rule 1826–1948 Derek Tonkin
Occasional Paper Series Migration from Bengal to Arakan during British Rule 1826–1948 Derek Tonkin Migration from Bengal to Arakan during British Rule 1826–1948 Derek Tonkin 2019 Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher Brussels This and other publications in TOAEP’s Occasional Paper Series may be openly accessed and downloaded through the web site http://toaep.org, which uses Persistent URLs for all publications it makes available (such PURLs will not be changed). This publication was first published on 6 December 2019. © Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher, 2019 All rights are reserved. You may read, print or download this publication or any part of it from http://www.toaep.org/ for personal use, but you may not in any way charge for its use by others, directly or by reproducing it, storing it in a retrieval system, transmitting it, or utilising it in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, in whole or in part, without the prior permis- sion in writing of the copyright holder. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the copyright holder. You must not circulate this publication in any other cover and you must impose the same condition on any ac- quirer. You must not make this publication or any part of it available on the Internet by any other URL than that on http://www.toaep.org/, without permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-82-8348-150-1. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 2 2. Setting the Scene: The 1911, 1921 and 1931 Censuses of British Burma ............................ -
Weekly Security Review
Weekly Security Review Safety and security highlights for clients operating in Myanmar Released: 06 February 2020 Dates covered: 29 January - 04 February 2020 The information in this report is correct as of 1800 hours (UTC+6:30) 04 February 2020. The contents of this report are subject to copyright and must not be reproduced or shared without approval from Exera. The information in this report is intended to inform and advise; any mitigation implemented as a result of this information is the responsibility of the client. Questions or requests for further information can be directed to [email protected]. Exera Weekly Review Client-in-Confidence Page 2 of 5 Armed Conflict Two (2) incidents have been reported in the last report period (29 January - 04 February 2020): 1. IED: 2nd Feb 2020 - Time: Unknown - Kayin State's Hpapun Township On 27 January, Tatmadaw Battalion Commander of Light Infantry Battalion No. 708 was killed in a targeted mine attack in Kayin State's Hpapun Township. According to a Tatmadaw spokesperson; the mine was planted by the Karen National Union's armed wing Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Photo via RFA Facebook page 2. IED: 3rd Feb 2020 - 07:00Hrs - Myawaddy Township, Kayin State Statements released by the Kayin State Border Guard Force; at approximately 07:00Hrs on Monday 3 Feb, 2x explosive devices detonated beside a residence in the 4th Quarter, near Asia Highway (AH-1) in Myawaddy Township, Kayin State. - Type of devices: Unconfirmed - Injuries: 2x Casualties (taken to Myawaddy Hospital) - Fatalities: Nil Reported - No group claimed responsibility for the attack - Authorities are conducting further investigations Assessment In 2014, intense skirmishes between the Tatmadaw and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) broke out on the outskirts of Myawaddy and a number of residents were displaced. -
Arakan Army, AA)
Division de l’information, de la documentation et des recherches – DIDR 9 avril 2021 Myanmar / Birmanie : L’Armée de l’Arakan (Arakan Army, AA) Avertissement Ce document, rédigé conformément aux lignes directrices communes à l’Union européenne pour le traitement de l’information sur le pays d’origine, a été élaboré par la DIDR en vue de fournir des informations utiles à l’examen des demandes de protection internationale. Il ne prétend pas faire le traitement exhaustif de la problématique, ni apporter de preuves concluantes quant au fondement d’une demande de protection internationale particulière et ne doit pas être considéré comme une position officielle de l’Ofpra. La reproduction ou diffusion du document n’est pas autorisée, à l’exception d’un usage personnel, sauf accord de l’Ofpra en vertu de l’article L. 335-3 du code de la propriété intellectuelle. Myanmar / Birmanie : L’Arakan Army, (AA) Table des matières 1. Principales caractéristiques de l’Arakan Army ................................................................................ 3 1.1. Une organisation liée à la KIA et à l’UWSA ............................................................................. 3 1.2. Relations avec les autres organisations politico-militaires ...................................................... 3 2. Les opérations armées de l’AA ont entraîné des représailles massives ......................................... 4 3. Les interventions de l’AA à des fins logistiques dans les villages ................................................... 5 4. Enlèvements -
New Crisis Brewing in Burma's Rakhine State?
CRS INSIGHT New Crisis Brewing in Burma's Rakhine State? February 15, 2019 (IN11046) | Related Author Michael F. Martin | Michael F. Martin, Specialist in Asian Affairs ([email protected], 7-2199) Approximately 250 Chin and Rakhine refugees entered into Bangladesh's Bandarban district in the first week of February, trying to escape the fighting between Burma's military, or Tatmadaw, and one of Burma's newest ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), the Arakan Army (AA). Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abdul Momen summoned Burma's ambassador Lwin Oo to protest the arrival of the Rakhine refugees and the military clampdown in Rakhine State. Bangladesh has reportedly closed its border to Rakhine State. U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee released a press statement on January 18, 2019, indicating that heavy fighting between the AA and the Tatmadaw had displaced at least 5,000 people. She also called on the Rakhine State government to reinstate the access for international humanitarian organizations. The Conflict Between the Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw The AA was formed in Kachin State in 2009, with the support of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). In 2015, the AA moved some of its soldiers from Kachin State to southwestern Chin State, and began attacking Tatmadaw security bases in Chin State and northern Rakhine State (see Figure 1). In late 2017, the AA shifted more of its operations into northeastern Rakhine State. According to some estimates, the AA has approximately 3,000 soldiers based in Chin and Rakhine States. Figure 1. Reported Clashes between Arakan Army and Tatmadaw Source: CRS, utilizing data provided by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). -
Global Day of Prayer for 2020
GLOBAL DAY OFBURMA PRAYER FOR 2020 PRAYER AND ACTION BEYOND BORDERS:ZAU SENG, KACHIN MEDIC, VIDEOGRAPHER, AND FOLLOWER OF JESUS, GIVES HIS LIFE IN SYRIA 1 In this Issue Burma Overview 4 Burma Map 5 More Setbacks, Less Progress Stories of Love and Service 6 To Love is to Act 7 Show Another Way 11 North Star in a Dark Place Ethnic Area Updates 12 Arakan State 14 Chin State 15 Naga Hills 16 Northern Burma 18 Southern Shan State 19 Karenni State 20 Wa State 23 Karen State Praying For 24 Voices from Burma 26 Providing Care, Giving Hope 27 Justice Moves Forward 28 In Memoriam Pictured on this page: David Eubank and Pastor Edmund baptize one of five students who asked to be baptized at the conclusion of FBR training, December 2018. The Global Day of Prayer for Burma happens every year on the second Sunday of March. Please join us in praying for Burma. For more information, email [email protected]. Thanks to Acts Co. for its support and printing of this magazine. This magazine was produced by Christians Concerned for Burma (CCB). All text copyright CCB 2020. Design and layout by FBR Publications. All rights reserved. This magazine may be reproduced if proper credit is given to text and photos. All photos copyright Free Burma Rangers (FBR) unless otherwise noted. Scripture portions quoted are taken from the NIV unless otherwise noted. Christians Concerned for Burma (CCB), PO Box 392, Chiang Mai, 50000, THAILAND www.prayforburma.org [email protected] 2 As we see the innocent suffer and those who serve them die, it makes me ask: what difference does prayer make? I don’t know all the answers, but I do know that prayer changes my heart. -
ACLED – Myanmar Conflict Update – Table 1
Actor Name Ideology Status Areas of Operation Affiliations Modus Operandi & Adversaries - Armed wing of ULA: United - Chin State League of Arakan - Battles and Remote violence against Active - Kachin State - Member of FPNCC Myanmar Security Forces Arakan Ethnic combatant; not - Rakhine State (Northern Alliance) - Battles against Bangladeshi Security AA: Arakan Army Nationalism party to 2015 - Shan State - NCCT, , , Forces ceasefire - Myanmar-Bangladesh - Allied with KIA - Battles against ALA Border - Formerly allied with ABSDF (pre-ceasefire) - Myanmar-Thailand ABSDF: All Burma Liberal Party to 2015 Border - Battled against Myanmar Security - Allied with KIA, AA, KNLA Students’ Democratic Front democracy ceasefire - Myanmar-India Border Forces - Myanmar-China Border Active AA: Arakan Army (Kayin): Arakan Ethnic combatant; not - Member of NCCT, ANC - Kayin State - Battles against Myanmar Security Forces Arakan State Army Nationalism party to 2015 - Allied with DKBA-5 ceasefire - Armed wing of the ALP: ALA: Arakan Liberation Arakan Liberation Party - Battled against Myanmar Security Army Arakan Ethnic Party to 2015 - Rakhine State - Member of NCCT, ANC Forces Nationalism ceasefire - Kayin State - Allied with AA: Arakan (Also known as RSLP: Rakhine - Battled against AA State Liberation Party) Army (Kayin), KNLA, SSA-S WWW.ACLEDDATA.COM | Conflict Update – Myanmar – Table 1 Rohingya Ethnic Active ARSA: Arakan Rohingya - Rakhine State Nationalism; combatant; not Salvation Army - Myanmar-Bangladesh UNKNOWN - Battles against Myanmar Security -
"The British Indian Empire, 1789–1939." a Global History of Convicts and Penal Colonies
Anderson, Clare. "The British Indian Empire, 1789–1939." A Global History of Convicts and Penal Colonies. Ed. Clare Anderson. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018. 211–244. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 27 Sep. 2021. <http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350000704.ch-008>. Downloaded from Bloomsbury Collections, www.bloomsburycollections.com, 27 September 2021, 22:00 UTC. Copyright © Clare Anderson and Contributors 2018. You may share this work for non- commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher, and provide a link to the Creative Commons licence. 8 The British Indian Empire, 1789–1939 Clare Anderson Introduction Between 1789 and 1939 the British transported at least 108,000 Indian, Burmese, Malay and Chinese convicts to penal settlements around the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, and to prisons in the south and west of mainland India. The large majority of these convicts were men; and most had been convicted of serious crimes, including murder, gang robbery, rebellion and violent offences against property. In each location, convicts constituted a highly mobile workforce that was vital to British imperial ambitions. The British exploited their labour in land clearance, infrastructural development, mining, agriculture and cultivation. They also used them to establish villages and to settle land. Asian convicts responded to their transportation in remarkable ways. They resisted their forced removal from home, led violent uprisings and refused to work. They struck up social and economic relationships with each other and with people outside the penal settlements. They joined cosmopolitan communities or helped to forge new syncretic societies. If ‘creolization’ and ‘coolitude’ capture conceptually the interactions and culture and identity outcomes of enslaved and indentured people in the Indian Ocean world, ‘convitude’ might do the same work for the experiences of transported Asian convicts. -
Myanmar in 2020
MARIE-EVE RENY Myanmar in 2020 Citizens Have Voted for the Democratic Transition to Continue, but Democracy Remains Far Ahead Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/as/article-pdf/61/1/138/455584/as.2021.61.1.138.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 ABSTRACT The NLD was reelected in 2020 with more seats than it won in 2015. Myanmar’s transition is not regressing, but many priorities remain before the state truly democratizes: conducting transparent trials of military officers who were involved in the killings of Rohingyas, solving the conflict between the Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw in Rakhine State, ensuring that enduring armed conflicts do not undermine citizens’ ability to vote, making sure the National Ceasefire Agreement prevents the resurgence of old animosities, demilitarizing the constitution, and restraining the military’s ability to sue opposition for defamation. KEYWORDS: national elections, armed conflicts, conflict resolution, democratic transition, foreign policy ELECTIONS On November 8, 2020, Myanmar held its second democratic national elec- tions since the beginning of its political transition. The National League for Democracy (NLD) won a majority of seats it contested in the bicameral national legislature (399 of 476), and more seats than in 2015 (390). Its campaign priorities included reforming the constitution, creating a federa- tion, and conflict resolution with non-state armed groups. Most of its prior- ities were the same as in 2015. Although 87 parties competed in the elections, MARIE-EVE RENY is a Hundred Talents Researcher in the Department of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Her report is based on the Irrawaddy’s coverage of events in Myanmar in 2020, and to a limited extent, that of Frontier and Myanmar Times.