Joint Statement: Rohingya’s call for justice, equality, peaceful coexistence and inclusive governance in Arakan

Rohingya Organisations Dec 23, 2024

© UNHCR/Roger Arnold Rohingya refugees cross the border near a village in southern Bangladesh. (9 October 2017)

J O I N T S T A T E M E N T

December 23, 2024

Rohingya’s call for justice, equality, peaceful coexistence and inclusive governance in Arakan

The Arakan Army (AA) has taken control of Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships in Northern Arakan/Rakhine State. The majority of the remaining 500,000 Rohingya are still living in the territory controlled by the AA. The AA controls the entire border with Bangladesh.

During decades of military rule, the people of Arakan State, including the Rohingya, have yearned for freedom. With the Arakan Army now in control of the territory, it bears the responsibility to fulfill that aspiration. We urge the Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan, to uphold and respect the rights of the Rohingya and all ethnic and religious minorities in Arakan State.

This moment offers an opportunity to transform the future of Arakan State—one rooted in respect for human rights, justice, and equality for all. It is a chance to move beyond the divisions sown by the military junta and rebuild a prosperous Arakan State where peace and coexistence are the foundations of governance.

For decades, the people of Arakan State, Rakhine, Rohingya and others, have experienced immense suffering under successive regimes, including military and civilian-led administrations. The Burmese military´s policy of divide and rule has been devastating. Regimes tactfully used the IDENTITY as a weapon to create mistrust and hatred among communities. These tactics were designed to destabilise communities, prolong conflict, and weaken resistance to military rule.

Undoubtedly, the Burmese military is our common enemy. Its ultimate aim has always been to destroy both the Rakhine and Rohingya communities and to keep Arakan State in a perpetual state of poverty and division, exploiting our land and resources.

The leadership of the Arakan Army and United League of Arakan (ULA) now have to make decisions which will determine whether Arakan State remains locked in conflict, division and poverty, or whether all the people of Arakan State, regardless of race or religion, work together for a better future.

The imminent famine in Arakan State could mean the starvation of two million people as famine does not distinguish race or religion. All communities must work together to prevent ongoing tragedies, and to help build a better future where no one dies of starvation, lives without shelter, healthcare and employment.

Arakan Army has been actively carrying out human rights violations including widespread arson attacks, forceful displacement and expulsion, looting, extrajudicial killings, forceful disappearances, forced labours, forced conscriptions, mass detention, sexual violence and extortions. Even in the past weeks, according to credible ground reports, the Arakan Army has deliberately burned down hundreds of Rohingya houses in Buthidaung and Maungdaw towns.

We, the Rohingya, are equal stakeholders and an integral part of Arakan State. We urge the Arakan Army to view us not as adversaries, but as partners in shaping a shared and prosperous future for Arakan State.

We call on the Arakan Army to issue clear directives to all fighters under its command, as well as allied armed forces, to immediately cease any human rights violations against the Rohingya or any other ethnic or religious group in Rakhine State.

Evidently, Arakan State needs international support to prevent famine, to address other humanitarian challenges, and for its sustainable development. The world is watching closely to see how AA/ULA respect human rights, equality, justice and freedom of expression. Assurance is needed that the AA/ULA will bring freedom to the people of Arakan State and work together with all communities. Support from the international community hinges on how effectively and wisely the AA/ULA addresses these critical issues.

Safe and protective repatriation of Rohingya refugees remains top priority for Bangladesh. On the other hand, AA/ULA now must make the situation conducive for a successful and protective repatriation and rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees to their homeland.

Rohingya have been the victims of human rights violations by many parties. Burmese military forcefully conscripted Rohingya from IDP camps, all the remaining villages. Some Rohingya criminal armed groups have collaborated with the genocidal Burmese military.

We reiterate our strong rejection to all those groups cooperating with Burmese military. Such groups do not represent the Rohingya people or fight for Rohingya people.

AA uses these criminal armed groups as pretext to commit crimes against Rohingya as a collective punishment which mimics the crimes committed by the military regime in 2017 that led to the submission of an arrest warrant application by the ICC’s chief prosecutor to the presiding judge.

We welcome the detention of Brigadier-General Thurein Tun. This presents an important opportunity for justice and accountability. Thurein Tun has been implicated in serious abuses, including the forced conscription of Rohingya men and underaged children by coercion, inciting ethnic tensions, and using propaganda to divide communities.

After 2021 coup d’etat, he oversaw brutal crackdowns on anti-coup protesters, including arbitrary arrests, torture in detention facilities, prosecution and imprisonment of dissidents in Mandalay. It is important that international investigators, such as the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights situation in Myanmar, and Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), be given access to investigate him.

As the AA/ULA exercises control over Northern Arakan, we urge them to take the following steps to reinforce their commitment to inclusive governance and to ensure a peaceful and prosperous Arakan State:

1. Guarantee the rights and security of all communities including Rohingya by protecting civilians from all forms of violence and discrimination, ensuring freedom of movement, and providing equal access to livelihoods and essential services for everyone.

2. Establish an interim consultative committee which includes representatives of all ethnic and religious people in Arakan State, so that all voices can be heard, and all can work together to rebuild the future Arakan State. There must be integration of Rohingya and other minority communities into decision-making processes and administrative structures at all levels. Equal representation is essential to building trust and promoting inclusivity.

3. Recognise the Rohingya as an integral part of Arakan State’s diverse communities. Human rights violations against the Rohingya are often justified by falsely claiming that the Rohingya identity does not exist, and Rohingya do not belong in Burma or Arakan State.

4. Adopt and enforce a public code of conduct for Arakan Army fighters to ensure the protection of civilians and investigate violations of the code.

5. Support independent investigations into allegations of abuses committed by the Burmese military, Arakan Army, and Rohingya armed groups Allow UN human rights agencies, including the OHCHR, Special Rapporteur, IIMM as well as independent human rights organisations to have access to Arakan State. Human rights violations by the Burmese military must be documented with a view to either domestic or international prosecutions, Human rights violations by fighters under the command of the Arakan Army have been documented by independent international organisations and media that must be fully investigated.

6. Facilitate humanitarian access by allowing unrestricted aid to reach all communities in need, ensuring that assistance is delivered equitably and without discrimination.

7. Engage in regular, meaningful dialogue with Rohingya leaders, within Arakan State, in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, and in the diaspora, to address grievances, rebuild trust, and foster understanding.

8. End restrictions on internet and communications, such as confiscation of mobile phones, and banning the use of satellite dishes which can be used to access the internet. Independent media should also be given access to operate freely.

9. Cooperate with Rohingya community leaders in Arakan State and Internationally to advocate for an emergency humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to prevent famine.

We must work together to prevent mass starvation in Arakan State.