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Crisis/Conflict/Terrorism
Rohingya issue a double edged sword for international community fighting terrorism

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 18 Sep 2017, 02:08 pm Print

Rohingya issue a double edged sword for international community fighting terrorism

UN Photo

On August 25, earlier this year, scores of militants struck at least 25 police posts across the two northern townships of Maungdaw and Buthidaung in Myanmar. They attack was later claimed by ARSA.

But who or what is ARSA?

Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army or ARSA is a Rohingya militant group, who promises to continued resistance until Rohingya demands for the restoration of citizenship rights within Myanmar are met.

"As imam, I encouraged them never to step back from their mission," Nazir Hussain, the imam of a village in far western Myanmar tells The New York Times.

The imam's words had encouraged a dozen Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army fighters to join the rest of the group in the Aug 25 attacks, which accounted for at least  100 deaths.

"I told them that if they did not fight to the death, the military would come and kill their families, their women and their children,” the imam adds.

According to the imam, the ARSA fighters are fighting for their right, they are brave men who have undertaken a noble task, and so is the thought process of other insurgent groups. Ask the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants and you are more likely to get a similar response.

The ARSA started four years ago as a small scale resistance group.

Locally know as Harakah al-Yaqin, it has already managed to stage two large-scale attacks, one on last October and the other on this August.

In their quest to put up a resistance, the ASRA has also killed some of their own, thereby, raising significant questions about its actual agenda.

According to experts, radicalisation is slowly gripping the Rohingyas, who, historically have displayed a more timid attitude.

Experts also feel that the new age gun wielding Rohingyas are more prone to be sucked into terrorism and are likely to pledge alliance with global terror networks, thus exacerbating their already vulnerable state of affairs.

Even though the so called 'resistance' has proved to be disastrous, the young brigade is unwilling to budge from their stand.

"It’s a matter of the existence of all Rohingya. If we have to sacrifice ourselves for our children to live peacefully, then it is worth it," says a militant.

However, it is an open secret now that Pakistan-based jihadists are contributing to the situation.

Evidences showed that Aqa Mul Mujahideen (AMM), responsible for the attacks in Myanmar, is an offshoot of Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami Arakan (HUJI-A), a Pakistan-based terror outfit which is involved with the Rohingya Muslim issue in Myanmar.

According to media reports, HUJI-A is headed by Abdus Qadoos Burmi, a Pakistani national of Rohingya origin, closely associated with LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, for training and radicalising Rohingyas.

Matthew Smith, a co-founder of Fortify Rights, a human rights watchdog group based in Bangkok, says that if the Burmese military does not relent, it will give rise to extremism.

"We’ve talked about the risks of radicalization for years, and the writing was on the wall for some sort of militant activity," Smith says, adding, "In our view, the best way to deal with risks of extremism and radicalization is to promote and respect the rights of the Rohingya, which is not what the Myanmar military is doing."

The other problem haunting the already battered Rohingya clan is the whims of these extremists.

While most want to flee the violence, the 'dare-devil' nature of the militants is forcing some to stay back and fight, mostly against their wishes.

"I might as well die fighting for my rights, as directed by my almighty God. My sacrifice will earn me a place in heaven," says a Rohingya militant. The tone is eerily similar to that of Islamic State militants.


Bangladesh: Overwhelmed by refugees

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has already taken steps to restrict the movement of the Rohingyas, who have entered the neighbouring land after fleeing the ongoing violence in Myanmar.

Reports have stated that refugee camps in Bangladesh are running beyond capacity and despite the promise of temporary aid from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the situation looks grim.

Medical professionals have started immunisation process of Rohingya children amid fear that there might be a measles outbreak.

"If proper preventive measures are not taken, highly infectious diseases, especially measles, could even cause an outbreak," Associated Press quoted UNICEF’s representative in Bangladesh, Edouard Beigbeder, as saying.


India: Rohingyas, a national threat owing to Pakistan role

On Monday, the Indian government filed an affidavit in the country's highest court, the Supreme Court, stating that the presence of Rohingya Muslims in the country poses national security threats as intelligence reports suggest links of a section of the immigrants, branded stateless in Myanmar, with Pak-based terror groups.

According to reports, the government also told the apex court that whether or not Rohingya refugees should be allowed to settle in the country be left to the Executive.

The top court had asked the Government to file the affidavit following a petition against the deportation of the illegal immigrants to Myanmar.

The Centre said in the apex court: “As far as Rohingyas are concerned, they claimed to have entered from Myanmar using porous border between India and Myanmar. The total number of such illegal immigrants into our country would be more than 40,000 approximately as on date.”

“Rohingya presence in the country has serious national security ramifications and it poses national security threats. Illegal influx of Rohingyas into India started in 2012-13 and inputs suggest links of some of the immigrants with Pak-based terror groups. ”

The Supreme Court has granted Centre time till October three to submit its response to petition filed by Rohingyas opposing proposed deportation.   

Pakistan: Masood Azhar's statement puts nation on the spot

Earlier this month, putting decades of denial to rest, Islamabad finally gave consent to the allegation that terrorists operate from its land.

Willingly or unwittingly, Pakistan's admission is causing it distress as US designated terrorist Masood Azhar's call has dragged the nation and put them on the spot.

While Pakistan has openly criticised the Burmese government over the Rohingya crisis, Pakistan-based J-e-M terrorist Masood said, "It is because of the sacrifices of the Myanmar Muslims that the ummah is waking up and we are seeing this new awakening among the Muslims of the world. All Muslims of the world must unite for this cause. We have to do something. And do it urgently. Myanmar’s soil is earnestly waiting for the thumping sound of the footsteps of the conquerors."

Masood's statement, needless to say, came at a wrong time for the nation which has just started to address terror openly.

The fact that Masood praised Osama Bin Laden's ideology openly in his column, complicated things for Pakistan. Wirathu, the nationalist Burmese Buddhist monk, and the spiritual leader of the anti-Muslim movement in Burma was attacked by Masood.

"Bin Laden was a lion who came out to help the helpless, while Wirathu is just a dog who is barking while sitting in the comforts of his home. Bin Laden was a brave and fearless man who challenged global imperialism on its face, while Wirathu is a lowly coward who is attacking unarmed civilians," he wrote in his weekly column in Al-Qalam, J-e-M's magazine.

Masood Azhar's comments are likely to put China in the fix too as the nation has repeatedly vetoed Azhar’s designation by the United Nations Security Council.