New Delhi: A fresh lot of at least 128 Myanmarese soldiers have slipped into Bangladesh with their arms — unable to fight the Arakan Army (AA), a Rakhine State-based militia supported by the civilian National Unity Government of Myanmar in exile.
Since February, Bangladesh has noted at least 901 soldiers and border guards from Myanmar crossing the international border in batches; most of them have since been repatriated to Myanmar.
In January, India too had noted as many as 600 Myanmarese soldiers crossing over to Mizoram to flee the AA fighting that country’s military junta. Several of them have also been repatriated.
In February 2021, Myanmar’s military junta had staged a coup on the civilian establishment led by Aung San Suu Kyi and since then there have been reports of numerous human rights violations by it on its citizens, leading to killings, imprisonment of at least 20,000 opponents and displacement of as many as 2.5 million people.
Since last October, the NUG government has been backing three ethnic armed organisations (EAO) engaging in an armed conflict with the junta forces; they have been joined by people’s defence forces (PDF) — armed volunteers that support return of democracy to that country.
While India shares a long 1,643 border with Myanmar along four northeastern states, Bangladesh shares a 271 km boundary with the country. Most parts of Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar is fenced.
According to The Irrawaddy, the new batch of junta soldiers have crossed into Bangladesh from the northern Rakhine State since May 4. Quoting Bangladeshi officials, the report said while 88 Border Guard Police of Myanmar arrived in two boats through the Naf River on May 6, the rest landed up between May 4 and 5. The lot includes three major level officers too. After seizing their weapons, the entire lot have been sheltered in a government school in Teknaf town in Bangladesh’s Cox Bazar district.
The latest bout of fleeing by Myanmarese soldiers is due to the takeover of a border guard headquarters in northern Maungdaw township in the Rakhine State. As per news reports, the junta evacuated some of its commanders by helicopters before the base, Key Kan Pin Border Guard Police Headquarters, fell into the hands of the AA. “The Rakhine media reported that about 50 junta troops surrendered to the AA,” said The Irrawaddy.
“Since the start of the current offensive in November last year, the AA has seized nine Rakhine towns and Paletwa Township in southern Chin State,” it added.
With both India and Bangladesh repatriating Myanmarese soldiers as per the request of the junta, the question remains if such an action may be viewed by the AA, and the pro-democracy ethnic rebel forces supported by the NUG government in-exile, as pro-junta moves, particularly when these militias have been successful in taking control of the areas bordering the two neighbouring countries. Importantly, AA is believed to have the financial backing of China and is key to at least one of India’s ambitious projects in the region — the Kaladan multi-modal transit project.
