Written By Khine Zaw

Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, June 10

“Would you like to buy some cow’s milk? It’s only 3,000 kyats per bottle. It’s real cow’s milk!”

A Muslim woman in her sixties, wearing a headscarf, was selling bottles of cow’s milk to marketgoers while speaking broken Rakhine language.

Another elderly woman was also shouting, “Beef! 5,000 kyats per Paw (10-kyat worth)!” as she sold cuts of beef laid out in a steel tray.

That scene is a regular sight every morning inside the main market of a town in Arakan State.

It’s a rare glimpse after a decade – of peaceful coexistence, where members of two communities that once clashed violently, with bloodshed and many lives lost, are now living and selling side by side.

Scenes like these are nothing unusual for the people of Arakan, where Muslims and Rakhine ethnics live together in the same communities.

In the past, due to ethnic and religious tensions, violent clashes erupted between the Muslims and the Rakhine people – fights involving sticks, machetes, and even deadly attacks. However, over the past three years, since the Arakan Army (AA) began gaining control over parts of Arakan, mutual trust between the two communities has been gradually rebuilt.

After the 2012 conflict, Muslims had been confined to isolated IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps. But in recent years, they have gradually begun to reappear in towns predominantly inhabited by the Rakhine population – engaging in market trade, interacting with others, and even participating in shared economic activities.

Many locals in Arakan say that this renewed sense of trust has emerged because of the Arakan Army’s (AA) inclusive approach. The AA’s commander-in-chief has repeatedly stated in speeches and interviews that all residents of Arakan will be treated equally without discrimination, and people on the ground have seen those words reflected in action.

Under the current situation where the Arakan Army has taken full control of towns, many say that trust has grown stronger than before, and Muslims have started to gain more opportunities.

“In the past, we could go to school together, work together Chin, Rakhine, and ‘Kalars’ (a term the speaker used). Now, it’s becoming like that again,” said a 23-year-old Muslim youth from Arakan.

Opportunities Gained After the Arakan Army Took Control

During the administration of former President U Thein Sein and later under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, there were efforts to build mutual trust between communities in the region, including between Muslims and the Rakhine people. However, those efforts yielded little tangible result.

Not only did trust fail to take root, but in 2017, another round of ethnic conflict broke out, further deepening the divisions.

However, around 2022, as the Arakan Army (AA) gradually expanded its territorial control in Arakan, trust between communities began to grow, step by step, leading to the current situation.

Muslims and other local ethnic communities, who had long lived with mutual suspicion and fear, have now reached a point where they can interact more freely – moving between areas, trading and engaging with one another, and even working together in shared spaces such as local markets.

A local Rakhine political analyst said, ‘’It is because of the Tattaw (Arakan Army)’s discipline, consistent words, and practical, harmonious interactions that we have reached this situation.’’

Muslims living within Arakan have now gained rights such as freedom of movement throughout the region, access to medical treatment, opportunities for education, the ability to hold celebrations and festivals, and permission to work in towns.

In areas where Muslims reside within Arakan, there have also been ongoing multi-ethnic friendship sports events held to promote unity and harmony among different communities.

“A single statement from the commander-in-chief made it happen,” said a Muslim elder over fifty years old from Myaybon Township.

Town Entry Permission

Under previous governments, Muslims were not allowed to visit neighborhoods in towns or Rakhine villages where the majority Rakhine population lived.

They had to remain confined within IDP camps, under strict surveillance and tight control by security forces.

Even before formally establishing the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government, the Arakan Army (AA) had already begun accepting local Muslims as members of its forces during the early stages of its territorial control. They also included Muslims in administration and judicial processes.

In areas with large Muslim populations, such as Buthidaung and Maungtaw, locals say many Muslims serve as AA soldiers and even hold officer ranks.

Arakan Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing has stated that the army appoints people from various ethnic groups, including Muslims, to positions in the military, administration, and judiciary. These appointments are also visibly present on the ground.

Since around 2019–2020, the Arakan Army has assigned administrative officials to Muslim villages and managed local governance there.

“We have trusted the Tattaw (AA) from the beginning. Now, we trust them even more. Our respect has grown because of the Tattaw,” said a Muslim elder from Maungdaw Township.

These steps have paved the way for building trust between the two communities.

Once deeply divided and unable to even look at each other face-to-face, the two communities have now nearly fully regained the trust they once shared while living together peacefully.

However, armed Muslim groups supported by the Myanmar junta continue to operate and carry out provocative actions along the Arakan-Bangladesh border areas, particularly in Maungtaw and Buthidaung.

Those armed groups do not have the support of the entire Muslim community.

They only have backing from a small number of Muslims and are involved in activities such as extortion along the border, drug trafficking, and intimidation or demanding protection money from local Muslim residents, according to people from the Maungtaw area.

“These groups ARSA, RSA, and ARA do not represent the Rohingya armed fighters. Up to now, they have been the only organizations supporting Min Aung Hlaing. It is important to distinguish between them and the Rohingya people. These armed groups act for their own interests, profits, and their own organizations,” said U Maung Maung Kyi, a member of the leadership committee of the Nwe Oo Multi-Religious Revolutionary Network.

The peaceful coexistence and trust between Muslims and local ethnic communities within Arakan did not come easily. Both sides say it took decades of building and organizing to reach this point.

Because of that, Muslims and local residents emphasize the need to protect and strengthen this trust so it remains firm and lasting.

Because of that, Muslims and local communities say it is necessary to protect and strengthen this trust so that it remains firm and enduring.

Otherwise, if they repeat the same mistakes by following the bloodshed and incitement-like back in 2012, the hatred that has been suppressed will resurface, conflicts will arise again, and innocent civilians will be the ones who suffer, the Muslim community and Arakan residents warn.

A 23-year-old Muslim youth from Arakan said that, just like when they were young, they want to continue living peacefully together with friends from diverse ethnic backgrounds – Rakhine, Chin, and others – and that it is important to maintain and strengthen the current situation.

“I want us to live together like before. We have been living together since long ago,” he said.

The Arakan community hopes and urges everyone to live thoughtfully and wisely in order to strengthen and preserve the hard-earned trust that has been built so that another ethnic conflict like the violent and deep wounds of 2012 does not happen again. They emphasize the need for education, caution, and careful consideration to maintain peace and prevent destruction of what has been achieved.