10/12/2025
2 Years of Human Rights Violations in Arakan
(Nov 13, 2023 – Nov 13, 2025)
I. The Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO), the department responsible for humanitarian affairs under the ULA-led Arakkha Government, issues this statement on the occasion of the 77th International Human Rights Day.
II. The people and Government of Arakan stand firmly for the human rights of every individual in Myanmar and around the world, and we express deep solidarity with all those suffering from human rights violations perpetrated by brutal forces.
III. At the same time, the people of Arakan have endured some of the most severe human rights violations in modern history and in the contemporary global context over the past two years (13 November 2023 – 13 November 2025).
IV. The internet and communication blackout—initially imposed under the previous semi-democratic government and expanded into a near-total blockade by the junta since late 2023—continues to shield perpetrators from accountability. This ongoing isolation has left civilians in areas beyond the junta-controlled towns of Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung extremely vulnerable to further human rights violations.
V. The sole perpetrators of these violations, atrocities and crimes are the illegal and illegitimate Myanmar military junta in Naypyidaw and extremist Islamist groups operating along the Arakan–Bangladesh border.
VI. In recent months, the HDCO has published a detailed report documenting the junta’s crimes, with particular focus on its airstrikes that have caused mass civilian casualties across Arakan, supported by verifiable evidence.
VII. HDCO records clearly show that Arakanese (Rakhine) civilians have been the primary victims of atrocities committed by both the junta and extremist Islamist groups, followed by members of other communities including Muslims, Mro, Thet, Khami, Daingnet and others.
VIII. Human rights belong to all peoples and communities without distinction as to race, ethnicity, religion, gender or any other status. The Arakkha Government remains fully committed to protecting and promoting the human rights of all residents living in Arakan.
IX. We therefore urge the United Nations, international NGOs, and global media outlets covering Arakan to report the situation on the ground in a fair, balanced and impartial manner, relying on credible sources and fact-based evidence.
