How to Resolve the Issue of Bengalis Entering? Asks Myanmar Junta Scholar Thein Tun Oo

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Global Arakan Network October 27, 2025

In an interview published by the local media outlet Arakha Times on October 26, 2025, U Thein Tun Oo, executive director of the pro-military ThayNaGa Institute for Strategic Studies (TISS), addressed the recent incursion of ARSA militants into Rakhine State and their attacks on both the Arakan Army (AA) and civilians.

TISS, established in 2017, is a Myanmar-based think tank focused on defense, military affairs, politics, peace processes, and national security. It functions as a forum for strategic analysis, particularly on Myanmar’s internal conflicts and international relations, and is widely regarded as a mouthpiece for the military leadership in Naypyidaw.

U Thein Tun Oo, a key analyst and researcher at TISS, leads the institute’s research, public commentary, and strategic discussions on defense, national security, and foreign policy—consistently aligning with the junta’s perspective amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war and international scrutiny.

ARSA Terrorists Inside Bangladesh

Commenting on the ARSA attacks, he stated:

“When you really think about who supports and who doesn’t, in a conflict zone like this, backing can come from all directions. If we assess whether there is the capacity to control or stop such inflows, then yes—this region could face serious challenges. That’s the analysis. So, the question remains: How do we resolve the issue of Bengalis entering?”

Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Myanmar junta has supplied arms and ammunition to ARSA and RSO militants via the Bangladesh border. At the same time, senior officials in Dhaka are alleged to have facilitated coordination between the Myanmar military and these Islamist armed groups.