• Burmese
Friday, July 11, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Background to Arakan State Strife

The Associated Press by The Associated Press
October 29, 2012
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Background to Arakan State Strife

Displaced Rohingya woman sits with her child outside a temporary camp in Pauktaw Township

3.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

An eruption of communal violence in Burma this past week is a reminder that the Southeast Asian country still faces serious problems even as it institutes major political and economic reforms after almost five decades of repressive military rule.

In a question and answer format, here is what the unrest is about:

Question: Who are the parties involved in this past week’s communal violence in Burma?

RelatedPosts

Junta Bombing of Resistance-Held Areas in Mandalay, Karenni Kills Seven Civilians

Junta Bombing of Resistance-Held Areas in Mandalay, Karenni Kills Seven Civilians

July 10, 2025
404
Two Prominent Myanmar Ex-Political Prisoners Die Hours Apart in Yangon

Two Prominent Myanmar Ex-Political Prisoners Die Hours Apart in Yangon

July 10, 2025
419
Myanmar Junta Deploying Conscripts in Major Push to Reclaim Lost Territory

Myanmar Junta Deploying Conscripts in Major Push to Reclaim Lost Territory

July 10, 2025
850

Answer: The two main groups in the western state of Arakan (Rakhine), the Buddhist Arakanese and Muslim Rohingya, have been clashing with each other, with Burmese security forces trying to restore order.

Many in Burma, especially among the Arakanese and the majority Burmans, deny that the Rohingya represent a distinct group, insisting they are simply Bengalis whose proper home is in neighboring Bangladesh. Burma deprives most Rohingyas of citizenship, largely curtailing their civil rights. Bangladesh likewise doesn’t accept them, keeping large numbers in refugee camps.

Q: What is the scale of the current violence?

A: Myanmar state television reported on Friday night that 67 people had died, 95 were injured and 2,818 houses were burned down from Sunday through Thursday. The casualty toll may be an underestimate because Rohingya victims are unlikely to go to state hospitals, which are mostly in Arakanese communities.

The totals approach those from more publicized clashes in June, which left at least 90 people dead and destroyed more than 3,000 homes. Some 75,000 people made homeless or fleeing violence were still in camps for the internally displaced before the latest clashes. The trouble has been confined to Arakan State.

Q: How long has this problem been going on?

A: Sectarian tensions predate Burmese independence in 1948 and stem in part from Rohingya loyalty to British colonizers. A Rohingya separatist movement also contributed to resentment against them. Burma’s then-military dictatorship encouraged popular harassment that pushed hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas into neighboring Bangladesh beginning in the 1970s.

The current trouble dates back to June, when the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by three Rohingya men triggered a series of escalating retaliatory attacks.

Q: What are the short-term causes of the problem?

A: Tensions have been high since the June violence, with some Arakanese and their allies stirring up calls for vigilante action against the Rohingya. In the recent clashes as well as in June, there have been murky signs of organized efforts at stirring up violence, but little is certain. In June, the army—whose sympathies lie with the Arakanese—was slow to restore order, but witnesses said this week it took some action to stop Buddhist attacks on Rohingya settlements.

Q: What are the long-term causes?

A: There is a perception among the Arakanese that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants encroaching on what they consider their native land, a point with which other Buddhist and nationalists elsewhere in Burma sympathize. An element of racism is involved since Rohingya look physically distinct from the country’s other peoples. Racism against the Rohingya was encouraged by previous military regimes to enlist support.

Q: What are the prospects for a solution?

A: After the June unrest, the main government response was to segregate the Arakanese and Rohingya communities, which in practice has often meant limiting the freedom of movement for the Rohingya. In July, President Thein Sein floated a vague proposal that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees resettle the Rohingya in a third country or take responsibility for them, a suggestion rejected by the United Nations as unsuitable.

Wide and deep popular antipathy toward the Rohingya places serious political constraints on conciliatory actions. Even opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, consolidating support for the next election in 2015, has been careful not to speak out strongly on the issue, disappointing many in the foreign human rights community.

Q: How do the events affect Burma’s moves toward democratization?

A: In June, Thein Sein pleaded for an end to the “endless anarchic vengeance,” warning that if the situation spun out of control it could jeopardize the democratic reforms he has begun to turn Burma around after almost five decades of repressive military rule. This week, his office warned, “As the international community is closely watching Burma’s democratic transition, such unrest could tarnish the image of the country.” Foreign assistance is essential to reviving the country’s economy.

A statement issued Thursday by the office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a similar point: “The vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped. If this is not done, the fabric of social order could be irreparably damaged and the reform and opening up process being currently pursued by the government is likely to be jeopardized.”

The International Crisis Group noted earlier this year that the nation’s newfound freedoms may have contributed to the problem.

“The loosening of authoritarian constraints may well have enabled this current crisis to take on a virulent intensity,” the group said. “It is not uncommon that when an authoritarian state loosens its grip, old angers flare up and spread fast.”

Your Thoughts …
The Associated Press

The Associated Press

...

Similar Picks:

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang
Burma

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 28, 2023
98.5k

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army troops are opening roads and pathways through forests for people to flee Kokang’s capital as...

Read moreDetails
Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public
Burma

Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public

by The Irrawaddy
February 7, 2024
89.8k

People’s Defense Force says junta troops told every household in the village to send one member to witness the double...

Read moreDetails
Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State
War Against the Junta

Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State

by The Irrawaddy
November 29, 2023
87.1k

Brotherhood Alliance member says it now has complete control of Kokang’s northernmost section after the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 125...

Read moreDetails
Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks
Burma

Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks

by The Irrawaddy
December 4, 2023
59k

The junta said deserters would not be punished for minor crimes, highlighting the military’s shortage of troops as resistance offensives...

Read moreDetails
As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue
Burma

As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue

by The Irrawaddy
April 19, 2024
47k

The junta’s No. 2 has not been seen in public since April 3, sparking rumors that he was either gravely...

Read moreDetails
Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow
Burma

Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow

by The Irrawaddy
February 12, 2024
44.8k

Ethnic armed grouping says it will continue Operation 1027 offensive until goal of ousting the junta is achieved. 

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
UN Says 22

UN Says 22,000 Displaced in Latest Arakan Unrest

Thai Police Stop Pickup Truck, Find 16 Tiger Cubs

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

2 days ago
884
‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

2 days ago
873

Most Read

  • Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

    Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Deploying Conscripts in Major Push to Reclaim Lost Territory

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Two Prominent Myanmar Ex-Political Prisoners Die Hours Apart in Yangon

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Junta Bombing of Resistance-Held Areas in Mandalay, Karenni Kills Seven Civilians

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Chin Resistance Tensions Boil Over as CNA Seizes Rival’s Myanmar HQ

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.