AAC Issues Statement of Condolence and Commemoration for the 1942 Mass Killing of Around 30,000 Arakanese People

News ၊ May 17, 2026

Photo: Arakan American Community (AAC) Statement

The Arakan American Community (AAC) issued a statement on May 13 expressing deep sorrow and commemorating the historical tragedy of May 13, 1942.

During the collapse of the British colonial administration in Arakan, systematic attacks by armed Bengali Muslim groups resulted in the mass killing of approximately 30,000 innocent civilians, including ethnic Arakanese and other local indigenous groups.

According to the statement, more than 2,030 Arakanese villages were destroyed and seized due to atrocities committed by Muslim extremists. The victims faced mass killings, rape, and mutilation, while hundreds of women were abducted. The AAC highlighted that most of these villages subsequently became Muslim settlements and have not been restored to their original state to this day.

The AAC noted that historical events and testimonies provide clear evidence of how armed Bengali Muslim militias, extremist groups, and later Mujahid-related movements carried out widespread killings, village burnings, forced displacements, and terror campaigns against the indigenous ethnic groups in northern Arakan.

In its statement, the AAC strongly condemned the atrocities, racial violence, and crimes against humanity committed against the Arakanese people during the 1942 massacre. It also condemned the Mujahid insurgent movements and extremist terrorist organizations operating under the Rohingya identity that brought destruction and loss to the local communities.

The statement pointed out that these events were exacerbated by the British colonial government's "divide and rule" policy and its arming of specific ethnic groups, which intensified the conflict. The AAC called on the international community, including Great Britain, to fairly recognize the historical suffering of the Arakanese people instead of ignoring it or adhering to one-sided narratives.

The AAC concluded its statement by reaffirming its commitment to seeking justice, historical truth, and human dignity for the Arakanese lives lost in the May 13, 1942 massacre, as well as protecting the Arakanese people and their ancestral homeland.

Source@onenationnews