Assessment of the Annan Commission Recommendations

I. Introduction Recently, significant activity concerning the Rohingya repatriation to the Arakan have taken place between the Government of Bangladesh and the military junta in Myanmar. Parallel to these bilateral initiatives, many governments are beginning to...

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2 years after the Coup, the people of Burma are worse off

ARNO is saddened to continue to report that after two years of the coup which took place on February 1, 2021, by the Myanmar military (junta) that the conditions in Burma continue to deteriorate and have not improved. As the international community is aware, the...

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ARNO condemns Junta award to Wirathu, terrorist and genocidaire

Today the Myanmar military (junta) awarded Buddhist Monk, Wirathu, the honorific title “Thiri Pyanchi” for “his outstanding work for the good of the Union of Myanmar” as reported by the junta’s information teams and subsequently reported by international media...

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Press Releases

Arakan Magazine – Issue 2026/Q1
Arakan Magazine – Issue 2026/Q1

IN THIS ISSUE
Contents

  • Ethnic Armed Governance and the New Power Order
  • Stabilisation Forces and the Future of Peace in Rakhine State
  • War Within Wars in Myanmar and the People Trapped Between Them
  • The Human Development Potential of Rohingya Youth
  • Powerlessness as a Great Power in Moral Authority
  • The Unseen Mental Health Emergency of Rohingya Survivors
  • Narco War Fueling Genocide Against the Rohingya
  • Rohingya News
  • ARNO Policy Brief

Reports

Widows for Peace through Democracy

2020 statement of Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD) for International Widows Day Widows, estimated at some 258 million in 2015, now many more due to conflicts and Covid 19 with its related effects on health around the world, have been largely unseen,...

Rohingya Library

All ABOUT ROHINGYA

Press  Release

A message from Nurul Islam, Chairman of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) on the occasion of the Rohingya National Day

“Bismillah, ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim”

“In The Name of Allah, The most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”

 

Dear Rohingya brothers and sisters,

Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa barkatuh!

3rd January is the Rohingya National Day, a very important day for our people. It is indeed a great privilege and honour for me to send a message of congratulations to all Rohingya brothers and sisters, at home and abroad, on this auspicious occasion.

Press release – Norway must take action over atrocities uncovered at Telenor tower in Alethankyaw
Press release 21, December 2018

Norway must take action over atrocities uncovered at 
Telenor tower in Alethankyaw

On November 22, 2018, the Rohingya news agency Kaladan Press Network released a report “the Killing Fields of Alethankyaw,” which exposed atrocities by Burmese government security forces at the Telenor telecommunication tower premises in Alethankyaw village, southern Maungdaw, in August 2017. Snipers climbed the tower to shoot at fleeing men, women and children, and villagers’ bodies were deposited under the tower. 

On November 29, 2018, Telenor responded to the report with a statement on its website, saying they were “initiating dialogue with relevant authorities to express our concern and seek further facts on the matter.” 

Press Release: ARNO Condemns Derogatory And Racist Remarks Of Minister Thura U Aung Ko
Press release 10, December 2018

In a funeral of Buddhist monk on 27th November, Myanmar Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko had desecrated Islam labelling it extremist religion and insulted the Muslims accusing them of marrying 3-4 wives, at a time, and producing 15-20 children. He senselessly said the Buddhists will become a minority in Myanmar within 30 to 50 years.  

On December 4, when asked by reporters in a conference in Nay Pyi Taw to clarify what his remarks on Islam and Muslims meant, U Aung Ko said, 

“The other major religion I have specifically meant is the religion of Bengalis who have fled from Northern Rakhine State, not the country’s Muslims. In refugee camps, Bengali youths are indoctrinated to march to Rakhine State and Myanmar. The future design of the Bengalis is to invade Myanmar as they are living in severely overcrowded conditions. Even now they are demanding territory like Safe Zone, then they will ask for No-Fly Zone. Again, full security must be guaranteed to them under the supervision of UN and OIC, not the Myanmar government. Bangladesh does not want a decrease in Bengali population in Rakhine State. Refugees are being organized to invade Rakhine State.  In the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested international assistance for one million refugees, but it is being consumed and distributed among them…”

ARNO Statement to the 11th UN Forum on Minority Issues

30 November 2018
Madam Chairperson,

My name is Nurul Islam. I am Rohingya. I am Chairman of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO). I was born in Muangdaw township of Rakhine State, in a country then called Burma and now called Myanmar. From the birth of the State on January 4th, 1948, my people have been nationals of Burma now Myanmar. We were loyal participants in the national political processes, for which we had recognized Political Parties and, until 2015, we voted in elections. We have not and do not seek to separate from the Union of Myanmar. Unfortunately, my people have been subjected to systematic persecution for half a century including the steady suspension of almost all our human rights, including freedoms to marry, have children, education, movement and so much else. In addition to the violation of our human rights, we have been subjected to the effective withdrawal of our citizenship. Ultimately, we have been subjected to the destruction of our community – to genocide.

Press release – Myanmar, not Bangladesh, is responsible for failed repatriation

Press release 20, November 2018

On behalf of the Rohingya people, we would like to express regret and disgust at Myanmar’s policy of continuously blaming Bangladesh for the failure of repatriation of Rohingya refugees. As we all know, the ground reality in Arakan (Rakhine) State makes repatriation of Rohingya refugees impossible as the brutal state machinery continues their genocide of the defenceless Muslim community, a policy in place for more than half a century. The sad truth is that Myanmar government has no intention of creating condition for sustainable repatriation and is responsible for failed repatriation and deserving of blame. We strongly condemn it.

Press release – US and Security Council Members Step-up Pressure on Myanmar

Representatives for the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) have completed a two-week advocacy tour to the United States and United Nations, to galvanize international action to end the Rohingya genocide and ensure a sustainable, voluntary and protected return home for more than 1 million Rohingya refugees forced from Myanmar.

ARNO chairman Nurul Islam joined by Dr. Hla Myint, chair of the ARNO Foreign Relations Committee, who is also President of the Rohingya Intellectual Community Australia, and Honourable Philip Ruddock, Australia’s former Attorney General and Human Rights Envoy, on the margins of UN General Assembly week to urge the international community to step-up pressure on Myanmar’s military and civilian government, which were failing to make the necessary headway to implement UN resolutions and recommendations of the international community and world leaders, including the recommendations of the Annan Commission report. Speaking after the visit, Mr. Islam welcomed the support shown by the international community, and advocated greater urgency to ensure credible progress on the ground:

“We came to the United States and the United Nations with a clear message: In the face of genocide, there is no time to wait. Much more must be done to support the Rohingya’s calls for justice, dignity and a safe, voluntary and protected return home. Conditions on the ground are worsening—both inside Myanmar and in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar. Victims are increasingly impatient to see perpetrators of genocide and war criminals held to account. At the same time, Myanmar continues to waste time with sham reforms, and shows zero will to create the conditions needed to solve this crisis”.

Press Release: ARNO welcomes the Human Rights Council’s resolution on Myanmar and calls for further action towards full accountability

September 28, 2018

ARNO welcomes the UN Human Rights Council’s landmark resolution on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. The Council calls for the establishment of a new impartial and independent mechanism (IIM) to collect, preserve and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011. In parallel, the extension of the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission is key to ensuring continuity of action until the IIM is established. 

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