Myanmar government has alleged that Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Arakan Army (AA) have camps in Bangladesh, a claim Dhaka has denied.
ARSA and AA have been fighting in Myanmar for the rights of ethnic groups in the country. The president’s office of Myanmar also claimed that both the organizations are working together in the Bangladeshi border to establish control in different areas of Myanmar.
Such claims made by the Myanmar government were revealed in a report run by news portal The Irrawaddy.
A Bangladesh Foreign Ministry official reminded Bangaladesh’s Zero Tolerance stance on Terrorism and said Dhaka will take proper action as they have seen the report Tuesday (Jan 8) morning.
The Irrawaddy report states that the AA has been fighting Myanmar government forces in northern Rakhine State for several years with the aim of establishing a federal state system. Since last month, it has intensified its military activities.
ARSA launched a series of attacks on police outposts in 2017 in northern Rakhine, claiming it was defending the rights of Rohingya Muslims. The attack led to clearance operations by security forces that prompted nearly 700,000 Rohingya to flee to nearby Bangladesh, adds the report
Myanmar President’s Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay said at a press conference on Monday that AA and ARSA officials met in Ramu, Bangladesh in July last year. He said the government had learned from sources that the meeting was likely held to discuss the groups’ respective areas of control within Myanmar, he claimed.
“We learned they agreed that areas west of the Mayu mountain range [close to Bangladesh] would be controlled by ARSA, while areas to the east would be for the AA,” he said. The spokesperson added that the AA currently has two bases on the Bangladeshi side of the border, while ARSA has three. The Myanmar government has lodged a complaint with Bangladesh over the issue, he said.
When asked on the matter, a foreign ministry official told Bangla Tribune that there are no terrorist bases on Bangladeshi soil.
“We have seen the report and take necessary measures,” he said requesting to go unnamed.
The Myanmar president office spokesperson also said citing a different source; he said the two organizations have a common interest in the illegal drug trade.
“I think the recent [AA] attacks [on police outposts] are the outcome of their meetings in July,” said U Zaw Htay, adding that the Myanmar government had ordered the military to implement effective counter-insurgency measures against the AA.
AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha denied the accusations, saying his organization had nothing to do with ARSA and was not involved in any illegal businesses, including drug trafficking.
“We have our own mission. The Myanmar government is trying to ruin our image by saying that we have an affiliation with ARSA. It’s dirty politics by them to portray us a terrorist organization,” he said.
U Maung Maung Soe, an expert on ethnic affairs in Myanmar, told The Irrawaddy he was doubtful that the AA would be affiliated with ARSA, as the AA’s stated cause is the protection of the Rakhine people and their state.
“So, alleging a connection with ARSA is the best way to attack AA politically. It won’t solve the problem,” he said.