Monthly Report

#### Monthly Report | November 2022

January 1, 2023 by Center for Arakan Studies (CAS)

#### Table of content

- 5-Key Remarks
- Background of the Report
- Key Figures of the Armed Conflict
- Critical Notes on Humanitarian Issues
- Civilian Causalities and other data

#### Key Figures of the Armed Conflict

Based on news reports, the CAS has identified that at least 23 battles have erupted between the junta military and the Arakan Army over the previous month of November. Still, the most intense and frequent battles were broken out in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, with 7 and 4, respectively. Compared to the previous three months, the number of battles in Paletwa township has declined by only 2. Other less frequent and small-scale armed clashes and mine explosions also happened in the townships like Taunggok, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, and Ann.

On the first day of November, the fight broke out in Taunggok township at around 8 AM with an ambush attack by the AA to the junta forces which contained around 20 soldiers near Thetkeyin village. It took around 10 minutes and according to some sources the casualties from the junta side could be about 10, but it is difficult to rectify that number. In the rest of the first week, the news of the battle was mostly occupied by the northern townships like Paletwa, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Minbya. But, on November 8, two clashes took place within 3.1 kilometers southwest of Kazukaing Village, Ann township. Due to the fight, hundreds of villagers had to flee. In line with the sources, the armed clashes resulted due to the offensive behaviors of the junta forces who came to the areas where the AA stations existed. Another fight within the township happened near Hin Ywet village on the same day.

On November 11, a mine explosion also broke out near Min Chaung Bridge in Amyint Kyun Village of Sittwe township along the highway from Sittwe to Ponnagyun. The news said there were some casualties and injuries from the junta side that could not be ratified. As a result, the junta military vessels shot gunfire around the area until 4 PM that day. Till November 20, the battles mostly happened in the central and northern townships like Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Buthidaug and Maungdaw townships. But, after that, the intensity of the conflict was dramatically low. During these 20 days of armed clashes, it can be reported that at least 25 soldiers from the junta side were killed, with 20 injuries in line with the reporting. But the real figures from the AA side related to this news are not available.

#### Critical Notes on Humanitarian Issues

During the month of November, the armed clashes and the heavy artillery by the SAC forces have led the residents of the villages from almost all townships of Central and Northern Rakhine State, specifically from Maungdaw, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, and Ann.

As of November 28, 2022, the total number of IDPs released by the armed clashes between the two parties has increased to 98,500 in Rakhine State and neighboring Paletwa township, according to the latest UN figures. Armed fighting between the junta and the AA continued until late November, when an informal ceasefire agreement was reached. Dozens of civilian casualties were also reported during the fighting that took place before the ceasefire, particularly in Maungdaw and Ponnagyun townships due to artillery shelling: with more than 7,200 people being newly displaced in Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw townships between 8 and 14 November. As of 14 November, about 20,800 people remained displaced in the Rakhine and Paletwa townships of Chin due to conflict between the AA and the junta forces since the resumption of armed clashes in August. On the other hand, the news also reported that around 23,700 people have been displaced since August 2022 and returned to their areas of origin in three townships of northern Rakhine as the armed fighting had ceased.

The main reasons why the civilians are caused to displace vary from the artillery shelling into or near the villages, the breaking out of armed clashes near the villages, to the patrolling of junta soldiers into the villages. Villagers in fear whenever the arm clashes between Tatmadaw and AA near their villages and the indiscriminate firing of artillery shells by junta forces tend to flee to nearby villages and take shelter at monasteries as temporary IDP camps mostly. These are the key reasons for the release of the IDP population in the State. Apart from that, the intensity of the humanitarian cause was also contributed by the frequent artillery strikes by the junta military battalions and bases in Minbya, Kyauktaw and Buthidaung townships because these actions feared the farmers leading to the failure of harvesting to the farms. Farmers from Wet Hmine and Peinne Chaung villages in Kyauktaw Township also said that they could not harvest rice crops grown near Light Infantry Battalion No. 375. In Buthidaung Township, villagers are also extremely hesitant to go to their farms as the military often fires artillery shells near the villages of the Kinchaung Village tract. Local farmers have urged the Myanmar military to halt its indiscriminate shelling for at least long enough that they can harvest their crops.

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#### About Center for Arakan Studies

The CAS is an independent, non-partisan and research-oriented group conducting research and analyzing issues related to Arakan/Rakhine affairs.

Mail:arakanstudies.org

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