Editorial: Coexistence or Conflict? Arakan's Fragile Future

By Admin 07 Oct 2025

Arakan stands at a crossroads. In recent weeks, two sharply contrasting developments have unfolded. On one side, the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) has taken bold steps to reopen mosques, recruit Muslim teachers, and engage local Muslim leaders in governance. On the other, Muslim armed groups such as ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) and RSO (Rohingya Solidarity Organisation) have launched attacks against AA border security camps in northern Maungdaw, sowing violence and mistrust.

This contrast captures the dilemma facing Arakan today: will its future be shaped by inclusive coexistence, or by the destructive path of militancy and betrayal?

Signs of Inclusion

The reopening of the Jamae Mosque in Maungdaw and more than a dozen other Muslim places of worship under AA administration is more than symbolic. It signals a new political direction that recognizes freedom of religion as essential to Arakan's future. For communities long deprived of basic rights, this represents an opportunity for dignity and equality.

Equally significant is the recruitment of over 170 Muslim teachers into the Arakkha National Education Department. Such moves are unprecedented in Arakan's modern history, when Muslim communities were systematically excluded from government institutions. For the first time, Muslims are finding space in governance, education, and even local policing.

Local Muslim leaders have welcomed these changes, noting that the AA has already provided more opportunities for participation than successive central governments ever did.

The Disruptive Shadow of Armed Groups

Yet these gains coexist with new dangers. Since September 16, ARSA has staged multiple attacks on AA positions, temporarily seizing a border security camp near Inn Chaung before being pushed out. These actions, far from defending community rights, directly undermine the anti-junta struggle in Arakan and across Myanmar.

Many local voices call this a "betrayal." By targeting the AA - one of the main forces resisting the dictatorship - ARSA and its allies weaken the broader fight for freedom. Instead of confronting the common enemy, they are creating new enemies within. Reports that elements in Bangladesh are encouraging these cross-border attacks only deepen the sense that Arakan's fragile peace is being manipulated for external interests.

Refugees Left in Limbo

The renewed violence also complicates the unresolved question of refugee repatriation. With more than one million people still in camps in Bangladesh, the conditions for return remain far from secure. As AA Commander-in-Chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing recently admitted, pushing people back into a war zone is neither ethical nor practical.

This leaves refugees in continued limbo, while raising the risk of further radicalization if displaced communities feel abandoned or exploited by armed groups.

A Choice for the Future

Arakan's future now hinges on which path prevails. If the AA continues to expand inclusive governance and nurture coexistence, there is hope for building a political model that overcomes decades of division. But if armed groups persist in their campaign of violence, they risk destroying this fragile progress and prolonging conflict for all.

The choice could not be clearer. Coexistence, though difficult, offers a path toward stability, dignity, and self-determination. Conflict, by contrast, will only serve the dictatorship and those who benefit from Arakan's continued misery.

The people of Arakan - both Arakanese and Muslim - must recognize this truth. Their shared future depends on rejecting armed disruption and embracing inclusive governance.