The fact-finding mission team on Rohingya also called for a full international embargo on arms sales against Myanmar, revealing that several companies from seven countries have been supplying weapons to Myanmar’s military amid the humanitarian crisis faced by the minority group.
But most international organizations overlooked the fact that the Indian intelligence agency RAW has been actively grooming the Arakan Army to destabilize the region in a failed attempt to counter China. Indian involvement is deeply concerning in Myanmar, and the Arakan Army does not hesitate to showcase Indian-made rifles, rockets, machine guns and grenades in front of DW news journalists who travelled to the country secretly.
Fourteen companies from China, North Korea, India, Israel, the Philippines, Russia and Ukraine have been supplying fighter jets, armored fighting vehicles, warships, missiles and missile launchers to Myanmar since 2016, said the report.
“These countries should have known that selling arms to Myanmar would have a direct adverse impact on the human rights of people in Myanmar,” it added.
The UN emphasized that arms transfer is contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which North Korea, Israel, Russia and Ukraine are all state parties, while China is a signatory.
It stressed that the named states have failed to implement human rights effectively.
“Therefore, further investigation is required in connection with the nature of weapons or related items that Myanmar may obtain from two businesses based in Singapore, which are not parties or signatories to the ICCPR,” the report said.
“That is why we have called for an embargo that will send a clear message: Dealing with the Tatmadaw from today on will have international legal consequences,” Darusman said during a news conference in Jakarta.
The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world’s most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.
According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.
AA captured Junta’s arms
The Arakan Army has captured two key military units in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, giving it effective control of Minbya township and putting it in a position to challenge junta control of the state capital, according to an ethnic rebel alliance and sources in the region.
On Tuesday morning, the Arakan Army, or AA, routed Light Infantry Battalions 379 and 541 – the two junta battalions that remained in Minbya after the ethnic rebels captured the 380th battalion on Jan. 28 – the Three Brotherhood Alliance, of which the AA is a member, said in a statement.
“All junta soldiers surrendered to the AA,” said a resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. It wasn’t clear how many soldiers this entailed, but the latest estimates by military experts suggest most battalions in the Burmese Army have around 200 men.
The takeover means “the AA now controls Minbya,” he said. People are worried about possible airstrikes by the military and “don’t dare go outside.”
The advances are the latest in a series of victories for the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which launched a campaign in October against junta forces in the northern and western parts of the country.
In northern Rakhine and neighboring Chin state, the AA seized arms and ammunition during several attacks on junta positions in January.
AA sources of income and arms
AA, which has a strong presence in Rakhine State, constantly presses the junta forces by capturing army bases and border outposts. As heavily armed AA fighters step up their offensive, questions arise over their funding sources and firepower. AA mostly depends on drugs, arms and people smuggling business in the region.
AA is one of the three insurgent groups in the Brotherhood. Analysts say that geopolitics will likely become more complicated as AA’s authority increases in the region.
According to various international media, the AA was established in 2012. Its old name is Harakah al-Yaqeen. However, the AA’s political wing, the United League of Arakan, was formed in 2009.
AA is operating not only in Rakhine but also in other states. Many rebel groups have cropped up nationwide and are scattered in different states. Some major groups are the Arakan Army Kain State, the Arakan Liberation Army, the Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front, the Kachin Independence Army, and the Karen National Liberation Army.
The Arakan Army is using sophisticated weapons in the fight against the Junta forces. The Kachin Independence Army and its ally, the United Wa State Army, are known to supply most of the arms and ammunition to the insurgent group. These weapons and ammunition are bought from black market dealers.
According to a recent report by International War Studies, the Indian RAW is funding 95% of the AA’s arms, and the rebels receive the majority of their weapons from India.
Analysts say India has significant support for the Arakan Army to counter and destabilise China’s considerable investment in Rakhine State, which includes deep-sea ports and gas pipelines.
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