Most Misunderstood Point in the Recent 202 Civil Society Organizations’ Statement on Arakan

News Analysis

Global Arakan Network October 4, 2025

In the cauldron of Myanmar’s enduring turmoil, where the clash of ideologies and ethnic aspirations reverberates, a pivotal statement by 202 civil society organizations (CSOs) on September 29, 2025, has been ensnared in a web of misinterpretation. Representing a kaleidoscope of ethnicities—Rakhine, Chin, Pa-O, Palaung/Ta'ang, Bamar, and others—these CSOs issued a resolute call for the United Nations, embassies, and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to recognize the United League of Arakan (ULA)-led Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government (APRG) as the legitimate governing authority of Arakan.

Yet, this clarion plea has been grotesquely misconstrued by observers as a brazen demand for Arakan’s secession into an independent, sovereign state on the global stage. Such a distortion not only muddies the waters of intent but also fuels division, emboldening extremist elements to exploit the narrative for their own divisive ends. This misreading, amplified by selective media and cunning agitators, threatens to unravel the delicate threads of solidarity binding Myanmar’s resistance against military tyranny.

The CSOs’ statement, far from a separatist manifesto, is a meticulously crafted appeal for legitimacy within a federalized Myanmar—a vision where Arakan’s autonomy flourishes without severing ties to the union’s collective destiny. The misinterpretation hinges on a single, overblown clause: the call for recognition of the APRG as Arakan’s rightful government. Observers, conditioned by Myanmar’s fraught history of ethnic fractures, have leapt to the erroneous conclusion that this signals a quest for outright sovereignty. Worse still, extremist factions within the Bangagya (Rohingya) community have seized this distortion to sow discord, portraying the ULA’s aspirations as a wedge between Arakanese and Bamar democratic forces.

This is not mere misunderstanding; it is a calculated act of sabotage, designed to fracture the Arakanese national movement’s fight for liberation from the military junta’s iron grip. The truth, stark and unyielding, is that the CSOs seek recognition of the ULA as Arakan’s governing body within Myanmar’s federal framework, advocating for high autonomy, not independence. Rooted in the ‘Way of Rakhita,’ the ULA’s philosophy champions Arakan’s national interests while forging shared futures with ethnic brethren across the union.

The statement’s seven key points, far from being peripheral, form a robust scaffold for this vision, each addressing a pressing crisis with precision and moral clarity. First, the specter of Islamic Bangagya militancy along the Bangladesh border looms large—a festering wound that spills chaos into Arakan’s liberated zones. Groups like the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) orchestrate deadly ambushes and destabilizing incursions, exploiting porous frontiers with the complicity of corrupt border officials in Bangladesh.

Full Page of the Statement

This is no abstract threat; it is a tangible assault on Arakan’s security, undermining the safety of all communities—Rakhine, Rohingya, and beyond. The CSOs’ spotlight on this militancy is a call to action, urging international stakeholders to curb this transnational peril before it engulfs the region in further violence.

Second, the statement indicts the systematic rights violations in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), where indigenous Chakma, Marma, and others endure land theft, cultural erasure, and militarized oppression. This parallel plight mirrors Arakan’s own struggles, exposing a regional pattern of ethnic marginalization.

By highlighting the CHT’s injustices, the CSOs underscore a shared fight against hegemonic erasure, calling for a unified front that transcends borders. This point is not merely sympathetic; it is strategic, framing Arakan’s cause as part of a broader tapestry of indigenous resilience, compelling global actors to confront Dhaka’s complicity alongside Yangon’s tyranny.

Third, the manipulation of the UN’s refugee systems by militant groups emerges as a chilling betrayal of humanitarian ideals. What should be a lifeline for the displaced has been hijacked—forged papers, diverted aid, and radicalized camps transform sanctuaries into breeding grounds for conflict.

The CSOs’ expose, grounded in documented evidence, demands reform, urging the UN to purge its mechanisms of such perversions. This is a constructive plea, aligning with the ULA’s call for integrity in aid delivery to ensure that Arakan’s 600,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) receive untainted support.

Fourth, the statement condemns illegal fishing and lethal attacks by Bangladeshi “terrorists” against Arakan Army (AA) personnel—an economic and existential assault on Arakan’s sovereignty. These are not isolated incidents but calculated strikes: trawlers plunder coastal resources while armed intruders target security forces, emboldened by Bangladesh’s lax oversight. The CSOs frame this as a clarion call for maritime justice, pressing international fisheries bodies to intervene and safeguard Arakan’s economic lifelines. This advocacy transforms a vulnerability into a rallying cry for sustainable prosperity, grounded in regional accountability.

Fifth, the humanitarian catastrophe in Arakan—exacerbated by the Myanmar junta’s blockades and Bangladesh’s restrictions—demands urgent attention. Over 600,000 IDPs languish without food, medicine, or hope, their suffering weaponized by twin oppressors. The CSOs’ demand for unrestricted aid corridors is a moral imperative, aligning with the ULA’s pleas for cash support, nutritional aid for mothers and children, and robust health and education frameworks. This point is a beacon of empathy, galvanizing global pressure to dismantle barriers and alleviate Arakan’s agony, proving that compassion can be a catalyst for federal renewal.

Sixth, the statement dismantles the disinformation and lawfare waged by ARSA, the junta, and their proxies against ULA leaders. Fabricated charges, smear campaigns, and digital venom aim to paint Arakan’s liberators as villains, obscuring their role as democratic vanguards. The CSOs counter this with forensic clarity, exposing these tactics as extensions of the junta’s asymmetric warfare. This defense of truth is a bulwark for legitimacy, inviting international scrutiny to thwart the junta’s narrative chokehold.

Seventh, the statement celebrates the ULA’s burgeoning legitimacy and its pivotal role in Myanmar’s resistance mosaic. From collaborative campaigns with ethnic armies to equitable governance in liberated zones, the APRG embodies a federal ideal—accountable, inclusive, and forward-looking. This is the statement’s crescendo, affirming Arakan’s autonomy as a cornerstone of Myanmar’s unity, not its fracture. It beckons Bamar democrats and ethnic allies to a shared horizon, where mutual respect supplants domination.

Yet, the media’s fixation on the recognition clause has birthed a perilous misunderstanding. Headlines scream of Arakan’s “independence bid,” ignoring the statement’s federalist core and amplifying extremist narratives from Bangagya fringes. These distortions, often fueled by ARSA’s provocateurs, cast the ULA as a divisive force, alienating Bamar allies and sowing mistrust among Myanmar’s resistance.

This is no accident; it is a cunning stratagem to weaken the Arakanese movement, which stands as a bulwark against the junta’s dictatorship. The truth is unequivocal: the CSOs seek recognition of the ULA as Arakan’s government within Myanmar’s federal union, advocating for high autonomy, not secession. To misconstrue this is to fall prey to the junta’s playbook, which thrives on division and chaos.

IDPs in Arakan (photocrd)

This misinterpretation is more than a semantic misstep; it is a sabotage of Myanmar’s democratic aspirations. As the 2021 coup’s scars fester, with the junta’s airstrikes and blockades ravaging Arakan’s civilians, the ULA’s vision offers a lifeline—a federal Myanmar where all ethnicities thrive without hegemony’s yoke. The CSOs’ statement, in its unfiltered entirety, is a roadmap for this rebirth: a plea for recognition that honors Arakan’s dignity while fortifying the union.

International actors must heed its full spectrum, pressing Bangladesh and the junta to end humanitarian strangulation, dismantle militant networks, and counter disinformation. Only then can Arakan’s high autonomy illuminate Myanmar’s path from tyranny’s abyss to a federal dawn, where solidarity triumphs over schism, and every ethnicity’s dreams weave a resilient, united future.

You can reach the full statement in this link.