Over 100 people from Bangladesh’s refugee camp arrive in Maungdaw

Aye Myat Khaing, Narinjara News, 11 June 2024

More than 100 refugees from the Muslim Rohingya camps in Bangladesh arrived in Maungdaw of Arakan State for military training.

According to local residents, the Muslims were brought with four boats from Bangladesh to Ywet Nyo Taung village in north Maungdaw on 6 June.

“I saw those Muslims and asked one of them about their visit. He said they were brought for military training inside Myanmar. They were not directly taken to Maungdaw, but transported by cars during  night hours,” said a resident.

Eyewitnesses revealed that on 22 May, around 200 Muslim refugees arrived at Ali village jetty of Maung Ni ward under  Maungdaw township, with five boats from Bangladesh.

They were transported by six cars from the jetty to basic education high school in Ka Nyin Tan ward.

The socio-political observers expressed concern that Muslims from Bangladesh have been brought  regularly for military training in Maungdaw. Later many Muslims from Arakan State were assigned to fight against the Arakha Army (AA).

When 30 young people from Kutupalong Muslim refugee camp in Bangladesh were abducted by the RSO on 21 May, a video clip went viral on social media, where Muslim refugees were seen being beaten by them.

But the Bangla  police did not take any action against those RSO rebels, who were even detained.

Now the Muslim armed organizations like  ARSA, ARA, RSO etc are recruiting youths from the refugee camps in Bangladesh. They are being trained by the military junta and armed to fight against AA fighters along with the soldiers.

The ULA/AA strongly condemned the individuals and organizations who were involved in these activities, deeming it heinous and unethical to recruit Muslim youths, especially the minors, by both the junta and Muslim armed organizations, exploiting them for their own interest amid the current political situation in Rakhine State.