The insurgent splinter cells in Rakhine

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is not the only insurgent group roaming the hills and jungles of Rakhine. Video footage of another armed group, but with black masks have surfaced several times, raising concerns. The Dhaka Tribune, during interviews with ARSA commanders and troops, has learned that the group is not an external entity, but rather another Rohingya group with the same objectives, but entirely different structure. According to several ARSA men: “They call themselves Tiger Group. Many of them were with ARSA previously. They are well-trained in hand-to-hand combat, melee weapons like staves and swords, and assault rifles and improvised explosives.” But some other ARSA members from Southern Maungdaw have confided that Tiger Group is not formed with former ARSA members, but comprised of the elite members of ARSA to carry out high-risk, high-value operations. The signature black masks are an attempt to conceal their identities. However, ARSA members from Northern Maungdaw claim Tiger Group is not affiliated with ARSA. Tiger Group is renowned for its ruthless treatment of government informants. If they identify an informant in a village, first they thrash him in public as a warning. If the informant continues providing information to government forces, they return and execute him. “It did not matter who the informant was. The same treatment was reserved for Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists when they betrayed the community,” an ARSA member said. The execution of traitors to the community endeared the bold, black-masked group to the Rohingya. But all of them vehemently denied any mass execution of Hindus and Buddhists, a claim raised by the Myanmar government upon discovery of a “mass grave.” Tiger Group is not the only splinter group with a distinct identity. There is the Arakan Mujahedeen and Rashed Group, both formed in 2014. Among ARSA, many have expressed scepticism about whether they are different groups or compartmentalised ARSA groups who follow a different command structure. The Dhaka Tribune could not find anyone who knew about the Arakan Mujahedeen, but found plenty about Rashed Group.Rashed Group – the splinter cell led by ARSA chief’s brotherThe eponymous Rashed is reportedly a brother or cousin to ARSA chief Ata Ullah. Rohingya civilians and ARSA members have confirmed he too came from Saudi Arabia. Rashed followed in the footsteps of Ata Ullah, but failed to garner as much support and success. After assembling the armed, masked group, Rashed returned to Saudi Arabia, where he currently resides, according to Rohingya in Saudi Arabia and in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps. The group had been training for more than two years, and has been deployed recently. According to the testimony of high-level ARSA regional commanders, all three groups coordinated with ARSA for the August 2017 attack.