Thread by @EdithMirante

1. This History Thread is background on the small-scale Rohingya armed resistance pre-2016. Rohingyas also resisted oppression by Burma (Myanmar) govt/military in nonviolent ways incl. information gathering, legal/political representation and lobbying for human rights support.

2. During WWII most Rohingyas of Arakan (now called Rakhine St.) supported the British. This resulted in extreme violence between Buddhist Rakhines and Rohingyas during Japanese occupation. Many Rohingyas thought the British would reward them with their own state at Independence.

3. They didn't. Mujahid began in northern Arakan in 1947, fought for their own state. Although opposed by many Rohingyas they gained widespread control in north. Eventually suppressed by large-scale Burmese military operations in 1951-54, the last Mujahideen surrendered in 1961.

4. In 1960s-70s some Rohingyas joined Rakhine armed groups but there were also clashes between Rohingyas and Rakhine Communists. Rohingya Liberation Party lasted 1972-1974. Burma dictatorship launched 1978 Operation Nagamin driving out 200,000+ Rohingyas to Bangladesh and beyond.

5. Mid-70s Rohingya student + armed groups incl. Rohingya Independence Force (estab. 1964) formed Rohingya Patriotic Front. 1982 Rohingya Solidarity Organization led by Dr. Mohammed Yunus split from RPF. Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front led by Nurul Islam broke off from RSO in ’86.

6. At their height in 1991 RSO (well armed) and ARIF (less so) combined had
< 1,000 troops. Based in Bangladesh they infrequently attacked Burmese military in Rakhine St. (Arakan.) Bangladesh used as "buffer" vs Burma but disarmed them in 1995. (HRW p. 13)
reliefweb.int/sites/reliefwe…

7. Rohingya attempts at joining alliances of other ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) of Burma (Myanmar) were thwarted when Rakhine (ethnic Buddhist) EAOs prevented Rohingya groups from joining alliances such as the National Democratic Front and Democratic Alliance of Burma.

8. RSO and ARIF worked toward garnering international Islamic support, succeeding mainly with Islamist groups in Bangladesh and possibly some Saudi funding. Some Rohingyas, incl. refugees who had grown up in Pakistan, trained in Afghanistan and fought for Taliban in 1990s-2001.

9. Acts of terrorism (attacking civilians to instill fear) by Rohingya EAOs were very rare. But Rohingya EAOs were labeled terrorists by Myanmar military govt, using that as excuse for troop buildups in n. Rakhine St. and severe abuse of Rohingyas, causing 1991-92 refugee crisis.

10. In 1996 with less than 200 troops RSO and ARIF merged into Rohingya National Alliance. Some RNA skirmishes occurred in Maungdaw in 1996. Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) formed in 1998 of remaining groups with RNA its armed wing. ARNO has been mainly non-military.

11. One of RNA’s last military actions was a joint operation with Arakan Army (the original one, a predominantly Rakhine EAO) for raids in Rakhine St. in 2001. For background on Rakhine EAOs and relationship to Rohingyas see my Sept. 2017 History Thread:

https://twitter.com/EdithMirante/status/910753973505728512

12. Bangladesh took the border camps away from RNA and RSO remnant factions and raided offices in Jan. 2001. Despite occasional rumors (or fear-mongering) of an “RSO” regrouping, RSO was irretrievably fragmented and not capable of armed operations by 2002. thediplomat.com/2015/06/the-ro…

13/13. From 2002 to 2016 the idea of Rohingya armed resistance was dormant. Rohingya groups instead sought international protection for their people and documented Myanmar military brutality.
Links to my other History Threads about Rakhine State are at: projectmaje.org