As conflict drags on, women in Myanmar’s Rakhine State place their hopes in the Arakan Army
(Photo/Moe Myint>
One night in early April, Soe Sandar lifted her two daughters into a small rowboat, holding them close as her husband pulled the oars through the still water. Their ears ringing from the artillery explosions of just hours before, they were careful not to leave a trace as they disappeared into the darkness. Read more
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Arakan Army extends administrative grip on Rakhine State
by Kyaw Hsan Hlaing
The Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan, have unveiled a political dispute mechanism and plans for a judiciary in Rakhine State as part of their moves to “bring justice to all people living in Rakhine.” Read more
In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, trust in armed group grows as election hopes fade
by Kyaw Hsan Hlaing and Emily Fishbein
Many Arakanese in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were optimistic in the lead-up to the country's first openly contested elections in a quarter of a century, in 2015. There’s a stark difference five years on, as 8 November polls are clouded by an escalating civil war and voting cancellations across most of the state. Read more
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Illustration by Thura Kyaw
“Like Ants Fighting Elephants”: Student Activists in Myanmar Speak Out
November, 30, 2020
Despite dozens of arrests this year, a small group of student activists are determined to raise their voices on behalf of civilians in Rakhine State who have been affected by armed conflict, and largely silenced by internet and media restrictions. Read more
Illustration by Thura Kyaw
In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, trust in armed group grows as election hopes fade
October, 18, 2020
Many Arakanese in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were optimistic in the lead-up to the country's first openly contested elections in a quarter of a century, in 2015. There’s a stark difference five years on, as 8 November polls are clouded by an escalating civil war and voting cancellations across most of the state. Read more
Myanmar's military stand guard at a checkpoint manned with an armored vehicle in a road leading to the parliament building Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. AP-
Myanmar’s Military Didn’t Just Overthrow Aung San Suu Kyi's Government. It’s Cracking Down on All Forms of Dissent
February, 2, 2021
After Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 15 years of house arrest in 2010, young activists pushed to expand freedom of expression and fought to improve civil rights and the rule of law, hoping to move the country on from the decades of censorship and arbitrary detention enforced by the military. Now, they fear what comes next. Read more
In response to COVID-19 third-wave, a group of medical officers from the Arakan Army did healthcare at Arkataung village’s school in Rathedaung township on 19 May 2021. (Supplied)
Arakan Army extends administrative grip on Rakhine State
August, 6, 2021
The United League of Arakan is advancing steadily towards its objective of assuming administrative control in Rakhine State, and has seen a high level of compliance from the state’s residents with the stay-at-home order it issued on July 20 in response to the third wave of COVID-19. Since the coup, the ULA and its armed wing, the Arakan Army, have accelerated their effort to expand their ability to govern the state and be seen as its legitimate governing body.Read more
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) cook at a camp in Rakhine State last week. With social distancing nearly impossible, IDPs are at risk of contracting the coronavirus [Supplied/Al Jazeera]
“Rakhine: Where the military is more feared than the coronavirus"
Date
Yangon, Myanmar – On the night of September 3, Thar Hla* was restless, and it was not just because he was sharing a concrete floor with approximately 70 people. “After hearing loud firing, I felt like the quarantine centre wasn’t safe,” the 32-year-old told Al Jazeera by phone from his hometown in Kyauktaw in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State. “That night, no one could sleep.”Read more
Previous News
Arakan Army extends administrative grip on Rakhine State
The United League of Arakan is advancing steadily towards its objective of assuming administrative control in Rakhine State, and has seen a high level of compliance from the state’s residents with the stay-at-home order it issued on July 20 in response to the third wave of COVID-19. Since the coup, the ULA and its armed wing, the Arakan Army, have accelerated their effort to expand their ability to govern the state and be seen as its legitimate governing body. Read more
In Myanmar’s Rakhine, families of the disappeared seek answers
One evening, as Ma Nway* and her family were having dinner, soldiers from Myanmar’s armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, came to her house and asked for her husband. According to her account, they blindfolded him, took out their guns and beat him in front of her. Read more
In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, trust in armed group grows as election hopes fade
Many Arakanese in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were optimistic in the lead-up to the country's first openly contested elections in a quarter of a century, in 2015. There’s a stark difference five years on, as 8 November polls are clouded by an escalating civil war and voting cancellations across most of the state Read more
Vote cancellations trigger outrage among Myanmar minority voters
More than 1.5 million people in Myanmar’s conflict-ridden areas have been politically disenfranchised after the country’s election commission scrapped voting in those areas in next month’s general election, deepening concerns about the credibility of the country’s first poll since Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in 2015. Read more
Rakhine: Where the military is more feared than the coronavirus
Yangon, Myanmar – On the night of September 3, Thar Hla* was restless, and it was not just because he was sharing a concrete floor with approximately 70 people. “After hearing loud firing, I felt like the quarantine centre wasn’t safe,” the 32-year-old told Al Jazeera by phone from his hometown in Kyauktaw in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State. “That night, no one could sleep.” Read more
To Fight the Coronavirus, Myanmar Needs a Cease-Fire in Rakhine
YANGON, Myanmar—On Aug. 16, Myanmar’s health ministry announced the country’s first locally transmitted COVID-19 case in a month in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state. By Sept. 1, the number of confirmed cases across the state had risen to 393, while as of Sept. 3, the whole country has recorded 1,111 cases since the coronavirus pandemic began. Read more