Us and Them, as told by Aung San Suu Kyi’s staff

Aung San Suu Kyi prepares to meet with military officials in Naypyidaw on August 25. Photo: Information Committee
Aung San Suu Kyi prepares to meet with military officials in Naypyidaw on August 25. Photo: Information Committee

What does Aung San Suu Kyi think about the conflict in Rakhine State? Who is the enemy? Who is the military protecting? Who does her government serve? Here’s a roundup of statements issued by her office’s Information Committee that aims to offer some insight.

August 24

A few hours before the ARSA attacks: The Office of the State Counsellor welcomes the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which, under the leadership of Dr. Kofi Annan, investigated development gaps in Rakhine State over a 12-month period.

The commission called for freedom of movement for all people and for a review of the 1982 Citizenship Law, which disenfranchised the Rohingya community. It also discouraged a “highly militarized response” to security threats.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s office pledged to form a “ministerial-led committee” and an “advisory board” of regional and international experts to implement the recommendations of the Annan commission “to the fullest extent, and within the shortest timeframe possible, in line with the situation on the ground.”

Neither Advisory Commission’s report nor the state counsellor’s response contain the words “Rohingya” or “Bengali,” keeping in line with her government’s recommendation in June 2016 to avoid both “controversial” terms

August 25

7:35am: The State Counsellor Office Information Committee announces in Burmese that attacks were carried out hours earlier by “ARSA extremist terrorists” wielding homemade mines. It reports that five police officers and seven “terrorists” have been killed.

The post also says the attacks were timed to coincide with the release of the Annan commission’s final report.

11:28am: The Information Committee posts an English translation of its previous post, this time referring to the attackers as “extremist terrorists.”

12:20pm: The Information Committee posts a timeline of the attacks and the police and military response, describing assaults on police outposts involving between 100 and 1,000 “ARSA extremist terrorists” at a time. (English version here.)

The post includes photos of weapons allegedly seized by Myanmar security forces, all of which include captions referring to the attackers as “Bengali terrorists.”

3:43pm: The Information Committee announces “Extremists torch their own homes” and claims that “Bengalis” have been setting fire to their villages before moving to other villages. By this point, 11 security personnel and 59 “extremist terrorists” have been killed. (English)

7:10pm: The Information Committee reports that security forces are evacuating civil servants, teachers, and “locals” to “safer places” and to a “National Race Village” before clearance operations are carried out. (English)

Most commenters interpret the terminology to mean that only ethnic Rakhines are being evacuated to safety. The policy is polarizing.

7:51pmState Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi releases a statement condemning the “attacks by terrorists on security forces,” saying they were perpetrated to undermine peace efforts. She wishes condolences to the families of the slain police officers and soldiers and affirms the government’s welcoming of the Annan commission’s final report. (English)

7:54pm: The Information Committee announces that Aung San Suu Kyi has been in communication throughout the day with the deputy commander-in-chief, Vice Senior General Soe Win, and had met with the ministers of home affairs, border affairs, and defense earlier in the afternoon.

8:44pm: After hours of referring to ARSA members as “extremist terrorists,” Aung San Suu Kyi’s office announces that the Anti-terrorism Central Committee has officially declared ARSA a “terrorist group” in line with Section 72(B) of the Anti-Terrorism Law. (English)

August 26

The Information Committee reports that “extremist terrorists” have continued “torching police outposts and monasteries, killing innocent people and planting mines,” while security forces work to “restore regional peace and stability”

The “terrorists” are still equipped with sticks, swords, handmade firearms, and improvised explosive devices.

“Extremist Bengali terrorists” reportedly set fire to 42 houses, 13 stalls and a monastery, forcing “ethnic people” to take shelter at a local school. They reportedly try to besiege “ethnic minorities,” while security forces try to disperse them.

In one village, “Bengali terrorists” kill a “fellow Muslim” who served as a local administrator.

August 27

4:04pm: The Information Committee accuses INGO staff of assisting “extremist terrorists” in the siege of Taungbazar village and reiterates the Myanmar government’s previous claim that INGOs had provided high-energy biscuits to terrorists.

It also admonishes media outlets for using the term “insurgents” instead of “terrorists” and announces that the Myanmar government is seeking to work through INTERPOL to take action against the financial supporters of “terrorist groups such as extremist Bengali terrorists and ARSA.”

Finally, the Information Committee threatens to take action under the Anti-Terrorism Law and through INTERPOL against anyone who supports the “extremist terrorists and ARSA terrorist group,” including media organizations.

8:09pm: The Information Committee announces that security forces are working to bring stability to Maungdaw “in line with the law.” It says that although the security forces are only targeting people involved in attacks, the “terrorists” have been using children as human shields and burning “minority ethnic villages.” Anyone involved in these activities, the Information Committee says, will be considered a terrorist.

It also warns civilians not to carry sticks, swords, or other weapons while security forces are around.

10:13pmThe Information Committee highlights efforts by the Myanmar government and local companies to provide humanitarian aid to “ethnic populations.”

Again, some commenters interpret this to exclude Rohingya communities, who are not legally included among Myanmar’s “national ethnic races.”

August 28

10:51am: The Information Committee accuses “extremist terrorists” of torching their own homes in an effort to destroy the entirety of Maungdaw town.

It also describes continued attacks by “terrorists” against security forces.

11:03am: The Information Committee accuses “Bengalis” from Myinlut village of falsely claiming that their homes were burned by Tatmadaw shelling and claims they burned their own homes.

The burnt property in the village includes “88 houses, 54 shops, 51 stalls, two mosques, eight religious schools, nine vehicles, and four motorcycles.”

The committee also accuses “terrorist extremists” of shooting “Hindi” civilians, resulting in the death of a child.

8:39pmThe Information Committee shares photos of Minister for Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement Win Myat Aye delivering aid to “ethnic” people in Sittwe.

Again, the gesture gets an outpouring of praise, but some accuse the government of ignoring the needs of Rohingyas.

8:56pm: The Information Committee acknowledges the statements of the UN and the governments of the US, UK, Australia, and Turkey  “condemning the coordinated attacks carried out by extremist Bengali terrorists in northern Rakine State.” (English)

None of the statements contain the words “extremist,” “Bengali,” or “terrorist.”

August 29

8:11pm: The Information Committee reports that snacks and soft drinks with World Food Programme and USAID labels were found in “ARSA extremist terrorist” hideouts.

8:44pmClashes continue between “terrorists” and security forces, 45 IEDs explode across Maungdaw, and “Bengali terrorists” burn seven villages and two wards of the town.

An ethnic Mro teenager is shot 10 times by a “Bengali terrorist” while collecting betel nuts in the compound of a monastery.

August 30

1:51pm: The Information Committee reports that more USAID and World Food Programme aid have been found among weapons and supplies belonging to “ARSA extremist terrorists.”

Many of the Information Committee’s statement’s echo those of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services, which has also repeatedly accused INGOs of assisting “extremist Bengali terrorists.”

Are Aung San Suu Kyi and the military in one mind about the conflict? Or is she hesitant to present her own ideas about the conflict for fear of backlash from the public or the military?

We’ve been asking these questions since 2012, and it looks like we’ll be wondering for a while.

Subscribe to the WTF is Up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong podcast to get our take on the top trending news and pop culture from the region every Thursday!



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on