The Myanmar Army, which is in a state of war with the Arakan Army, is asking for the help of the Rohingyas. At least 100 Rohingya have been recruited in recent weeks to fight for the junta forces. They are also given brief weapons training before going into battle against the Arakan Army. And Rohingya men are being lured into the army with food, security, and the most coveted citizenship.
One of them is Mohammad (pseudonym). She lives with her three children in two makeshift camps near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine. About one and a half million Rohingyas of Rakhine who lost their homes due to the repression of the army have been living in these temporary camps for the past decade. This Mohammed also had to go to war. I was terrified, but I still had to go.
At midnight in mid-February, the leader of the camp came to him. That leader said that he should take military training. Mohammad said it was a military order. They threatened to harm my family if I did not comply.
Speaking to the Rohingya, the BBC has confirmed that army officers are ordering young people from these refugee camps to undergo military training. But the harsh reality is that many Rohingya, like Mohammad, have no citizenship. Even going outside the community is forbidden to them. They are victims of more such discrimination.
In 2012, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were uprooted from their homes, although they once coexisted with other communities in Rakhine. They were forced to live in isolated makeshift camps. Five years later, in 2017, seven lakh Rohingyas fled to neighboring Bangladesh in the face of brutal killings and rapes by the army. At that time, the junta forces burned Rohingya village after village in Rakhine. However, there are still about six lakh Rohingyas in the state.
Myanmar is currently on trial at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on charges of genocide against the Rohingya. The powerful Myanmar army has now lost control of several key areas of Rakhine in a battle with the insurgent Arakan Army. In this situation, they are turning to the Rohingyas to increase their strength. Trying to force Rohingyas to join the army.
Not only in Rakhine but also in some other parts of the country, the junta forces have suffered heavy losses in the war. Many army personnel have also surrendered, along with casualties. Some army personnel have also defected and joined rebel groups, making it difficult for the army to fill their void.
The army is asking for help from the Rohingya to fight!
