A large plume of smoke is seen on the Myanmar side of the border from Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 15, 2017. Photo: Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
Bertil Lintner, Asia Times: The truth behind Myanmar’s Rohingya insurgency
While the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army claims to be fighting an ethno-nationalist struggle, its leaders and extremist group links point towards a wider regional agenda.
While Myanmar’s emergent Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claims it’s like other ethnic armed groups fighting for self-determination across the country and should not be branded as a terrorist organization, the realities on the ground tell a different tale.
ARSA represents an entirely new type of insurgency, one which the Myanmar military has demonstrated it is wholly ill-equipped to combat. Other ethnic resistance armies in Myanmar, such as those from the Kachin, Shan, Karen or Mon, dress in military uniforms with the names of their respective groups prominently displayed and badges showing their ranks.
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WNU Editor: There is some truth to the above Asia Times post. WNU has been covering the ongoing insurgency in Rakhine state for a long time .... Violence Erupts In Myanmar's Region Bordering Bangladesh (October 10, 2016). And before the Rohingya crisis exploded last month, there was an insurgent attack on a number of police posts last month .... Rohingya Muslim Insurgents Have Launched Multiple Attacks Against Myanmar Police Posts (August 25, 2017). Does this justify ethnic cleansing .... of course not. But there is more to this conflict than just the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
I think they are dambed if they do and damned if they don't. History has shown that if they don't act now they as a country will be dealing with a much stronger,ruthless set of insurgents. Similar to what we are trying to fight in the west. On paper I can understand what they are doing but of course i'm not there while innocent people are being caught in the mess.
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