NUG acting president says Myanmar junta plotting racial strife in Arakan 

By Admin 28 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
28 May 2024, Sittwe

Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the parallel National Unity Government (NUG), has accused Myanmar’s military regime of plotting to provoke racial conflicts in Arakan State, amid widespread allegations about the persecution of Muslims in Arakan State.

“We need to take lessons from our wrong approaches regarding the Rohingya [Muslim] issue, which has been under the international spotlight. We must also ensure peaceful coexistence,” said the acting NUG president on Tuesday.

Duwa Lashi La called the issue a legacy of colonial rule in Myanmar, and a geopolitical problem along Myanmar’s western border.

The Arakkha Army (AA) and concerned Muslim communities are trying to prevent the problem from escalating, according to the NUG statement.

“We NUG must also do our part to end the racial tensions,” said Duwa Lashi La.

On May 22, 195 organisations issued a joint statement, calling for a probe into allegations about the arrest and killing of Muslims by AA troops in Buthidaung Township.

The ULA/AA issued a statement on May 24, saying the joint statement is factually inaccurate and out of touch with reality.

The ULA/AA requested that any organisation whose name was put on the joint statement without its knowledge should state so publicly.

Some organisations have subsequently withdrawn their names from the joint statement.

The AA has accused the military regime of providing military training to Muslims and using them to fight the AA in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. It has also accused the junta of joining hands with such Muslim armed organisations as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) to create racial conflicts.

More than 500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have taken shelter in AA-controlled territory, and about 200,000 of them including Muslims from Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships need food supplies and medicines, according to the AA.