Violence Against Civilians by Islamist Armed Groups in Northern Arakan: In-Depth Analysis
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
(November 2023 to January 2026)
The Arakan region (Rakhine State) has long suffered from demographic changes, colonial
legacies, and violence fueled by extremist ideologies and armed conflicts.
Historically, northern Arakan was predominantly inhabited by indigenous communities, the Arakanese (Rakhine), as well as minority groups such as the Mro, Thet, Khumei, and Daingnet. A
Muslim presence existed in the pre-colonial period, though on a relatively smaller scale.
During British colonial rule (1824–1948), large-scale labor migration from the Chittagong region of British India was facilitated to support agricultural expansion. This colonial-era migration significantly altered the demographic, religious, and socioeconomic composition of northern Arakan, contributing over time to intercommunal tensions between established indigenous
communities and newly settled populations.
