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Southeast Asia | |
The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) | |
2017-09-15 | |
[Dhaka Tribune] Originally calling themselves Harakah al-Yaqin (the Faith Movement), this group burst to prominence in October 2016 with deadly attacks on Myanmar border police. Bigger attacks on August 25 triggered the latest violence, with the army launching a counter offensive that has left hundreds dead and driven a tide of refugees from their homes.
Rohingya leaders have long rejected attempts by outside militants to radicalise the population, believing them to be counterproductive. But observers say oppressive restrictions imposed since the 2012 violence have allowed support for militancy to take root. The group may only have had several hundred trained militants when it launched its attacks, but local Rohingya men are thought to have taken up crude weapons to join the fight in recent weeks. | |
Posted by:Fred |