Myanmar Junta recruits Rohingya for military: Desperation or exploitation?

Despite being victims of ethnic cleansing and denied citizenship rights, Rohingyas are pushed into joining the same Myanmar military that is accused of committing crimes against them. However, many question whether the junta’s approach is desperate or an exploitation of the vulnerable Muslim-dominated Rohingyas.

The facts

According to various reports, the junta has suffered significant losses in terms of military personnel. They have been killed, injured, captured, or defected to the opposition, and finding replacements is tough. Few people want to risk their lives to support an unpopular dictatorship.

Tens of thousands of Rohingyas were displaced from mixed settlements in Rakhine State in 2012 and forced to live in filthy camps. Five years later, in August 2017, 700,000 people fled to nearby Bangladesh after the army started a ruthless clearance operation against them, killing and raping thousands and destroying their communities. Some 600,000 of them are still there.

The Myanmar military, accused of ‘ethnic cleansing‘ against the Rohingyas, is now recruiting them to fight. Rohingyas in Rakhine State are being forced to undergo military training and join the failing junta.

Despite lacking citizenship and facing persecution, Rohingyas are forced to fight. According to reports, Rohingyas have been enlisted and deployed against the Arakan Army.

The situation has heightened tensions between Rohingyas and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

Meanwhile, one of the most powerful ethnic armed groups, the Arakan Army, which demands autonomy, has criticised the junta’s treatment of Rohingya.

The arguments

The Myanmar military’s recruitment of Rohingya Muslims into combat roles in the context of past crimes and ongoing strife in Rakhine State is a concerning trend that highlights the region’s ethnic and political difficulties.

The military’s recruitment of Rohingyas violates human rights and violates their rights. The junta’s desperation leads them to exploit vulnerable populations for survival. Using Rohingyas in battles may also exacerbate tensions between communities.

The Rohingyas’ involvement in the fight further complicates the Arakan Army’s objectives and relationships in Rakhine State.

On the other hand, the Rohingyas feel deceived by both the military and the militants, and they are caught between opposing factions.

Myanmar’s military is renowned for using civilians as human shields and enrolling them against their will to serve as porters, transporting military equipment to and from the front lines, or land mine clearers, who incur significant dangers when clearing land mines from fields.

The insistence of Myanmar’s military leads to international implications. This means the junta’s recruitment of Rohingyas has the potential to influence worldwide perceptions of Myanmar’s conflict and treatment of minorities.

Activists have also expressed humanitarian crisis concerns, pointing out that exploitation of Rohingyas exacerbates their suffering and prolongs the conflict, undermining prospects for peace and security.

In conclusion, the junta’s recruitment of Rohingyas for military service raises severe ethical, humanitarian, and strategic problems, emphasising the complexities and injustices of Myanmar’s protracted conflict.