Monthly Report | August 2024

Rising Civilian Casualties, Economic Turmoil, and Humanitarian Crises in Arakan State

Monitoring of a brief situation of political tension, economic issues, social issues, and humanitarian issues in Arakan in August 2024.

About report

This report is part of the CAS's monthly series, which delves into four key areas of the state of Arakan. The first section addresses political concerns, including the armed revolution, junta activities, and issues of political freedom. The second examines the state's economic climate, focusing on rising prices, declining demand, foreign direct investment, and border trade. The third and fourth sections cover social and humanitarian issues, respectively; these include education, health, migration, and the internally displaced persons (IDP) population.

Key data in the report are sourced from local media outlets, such as DMG, Western News, among others. The aim of this report is to shed new light on the situation for observers endeavoring to comprehend the dynamics at play in the region.

Key Remarks

- The armed clashes between the military junta and the AA continued in the townships of Maungdaw, Thandwe, and Gwa in Arakan. On other fronts, the AA engaged in armed fighting against the ARSA in Maungdaw. The confrontation between the ULA/AA and the CNF/CNA remained intense, particularly after the detainment of two AA soldiers by the CNF, who pressured them to confess according to narratives dictated by the latter.

- Severe economic hardships worsened for the local population in Arakan. These hardships include rising unemployment and out-migration, the suspension of traditional weaving businesses, damage to rice fields due to flooding, inflation, currency (kyat) devaluation, and cash shortages. Among these, the broken banking system and restrictions on cash transportation have caused a severe scarcity of money, making it difficult for local people to use cash for transactions in the market.

- Widespread flooding in August, particularly in areas like Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, and Minbya, caused severe damage, destroying several acres of rice fields. In addition, the junta restricted the movement of its staff, preventing them from leaving town, while nuns in Sittwe faced livelihood difficulties due to decreasing donations.

- The ULA/AA implemented humanitarian activities to assist flood victims. Orphanage care centers in Sittwe made emergency donation requests, and humanitarian workers were reportedly trapped in urban Sittwe. Meanwhile, IDPs in Rathedaung struggled with food and shelter shortages, and humanitarian actors were involved in assisting new IDPs in Thandwe and Gwa townships.

Table of Content

Part- I: Political Affairs

Part- II: Economic Situations

Part- III: Social Issues

Part- IV: Humanitarian Issues

Part- I: Political Affairs

Civilian casualties due to the armed clashes continued in Arakan. On August 1, 2024, it was reported that the junta's attacks in July killed 56 civilians and injured 48 in Arakan.

An Arakanese politician stated that there are “hundreds of civilian casualties in Arakan State every month,” adding, “Most civilian casualties were caused by the regime’s airstrikes. The regime’s attacks on civilians will continue. As people, it is important to create safe places to live.”

The next day, the AA banned sea travel off the Thandwe and Gwa coasts as the junta reinforced those areas. Meanwhile, the regime denied reports of six civilian deaths in Ngapali due to artillery shelling. It was also reported that hundreds of Muslim youths fled to Bangladesh after 30 were recruited from Maungdaw.

On August 3, it was reported that 9 ARSA members were captured by AA forces after the former killed 5 civilians in Maungdaw. The battle for control of Maungdaw continued to rage. A day later, the AA accused the CNF/CNA of coercing false confessions from two detained AA fighters.

Read More

download to PDF for read more