Category: Issue Brief

Issue Brief • March 3rd 2026 • Center for Arakan Studies

Health challenges faced by the people in Arakan

English | Myanmar

In townships controlled by the SSPC, health-related challenges are not only due to transportation restrictions but are also linked to a lack of political prioritization and weaknesses in governance and management. On the other hand, in areas under the control of the Arakan Army, the challenges are primarily caused by external transportation blockades, security vulnerabilities due to ongoing conflict, shortages of medicines, medical supplies, and healthcare personnel, as well as difficulties in domestic travel. However, there may also be some gaps in administrative .....Read more

Center for Arakan Studies

Issue Brief • March 20th 2026 • Center for Arakan Studies

Rakhine Political Parties Amid Myanmar’s Political Crisis

English | Myanmar

Under Myanmar’s legislative structure, the Parliament consists of three chambers: the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House), the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House), and the State/Region Hluttaw. For the 2025 elections, the implementation of a Proportional Representation (PR) system and FirstPast-The-Post (FPTP) combined model resulted in a modest number of elected representatives from Rakhine-based parties, specifically the AFP and RNP. In contrast, local ethnic minority parties, such as the Khami and Mro parties, failed to secure a single seat ....Read more

Center for Arakan Studies

Issue Brief • March 31st 2026 • Center for Arakan Studies

Socio-economic challenges of people in Arakan related to communication blackouts

English | Myanmar

In the 21st century, telecommunication services such as phone and internet are essential daily necessities for every individual. However, due to armed conflicts, the residents in Arakan still face challenges in fully accessing these services. Traditionally, restoring phone and internet usage depends directly on the ceasefire and political peace between the military commission government and the Arakan Army. On one hand, conventional communication networks remain under the control of the central government ....Read more

Center for Arakan Studies

Issue Brief • April 30th 2026 • Center for Arakan Studies

Resurgence of Armed Conflicts and the Situation of Higher Education in Arakan

English | Myanmar

The implementation of higher education in an active war zone inherently faces significant challenges. Arakan/Rakhine State, which has historically suffered from low educational standards due to systemic oppression and poverty under successive central governments, continues to face severe challenges under the current conflict. Within the ULA/AA-controlled territories, the stability of university operations remains precarious, threatened by persistent security risks and a severe lack of specialised ...Read more

Center for Arakan Studies

Issue Brief • June 19th, 2026 • Center for Arakan Studies

Caught Between Desperation and Danger: Why Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Continue to Risk Perilous Sea Journeys

English | Myanmar

By this upcoming August, it will have been exactly nine years since hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees were forced to flee to Bangladesh due to the brutal military operations launched by the Myanmar armed forces in 2017. Unlike previous exoduses in 1978 and the 1990s, the current crisis is unprecedented in both its massive scale and its prolonged duration. More importantly, unlike previous exoduses, the current crisis involves ongoing legal proceedings against the Myanmar government and military leadership in international courts, representing a concerted effort to achieve justice and accountability ...Read more

Center for Arakan Studies

Issue Brief • June 30th, 2026 • Center for Arakan Studies

Arakan Army and Battles of Kyaukphyu

English | Myanmar

The battles for Kyaukphyu reflect a prolonged and intensifying military stalemate between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Military Council. Despite heavy casualties sustained by both sides over more than a year of fighting, neither side has achieved a decisive victory. The Military Council has managed to hold onto strategic installations through the concentrated use of airstrikes, naval bombardments, and drone technology. However, relentless counter-attacks by the AA have successfully prevented the military regime from establishing absolute control over the entire township. This protracted stalemate has effectively transformed Kyaukphyu into a permanent frontline. With no clear resolution in sight, the ongoing hostilities indicate that this conflict will remain a central driver of ...Read more

Center for Arakan Studies

Monthly Report • April 7th 2023

Monthly Report | March 2023

While the junta’s forces and Arakan Army (AA) are now in an informal truce, the news of the registration of the political parties in Rakhine have become more prominent in March.

Center for Arakan Studies

Monthly Report • March 6th 2023

Monthly Report | Febuary 2023

In February 2023, both tensions and relaxation could be seen in politics in Rakhine State. Tensions between the Arakan Army, and junta forces happened due after the junta forces' reinforcement such as military types of equipment, patrol and,...

Center for Arakan Studies

Special Report • March 6th 2023

Arakan Review: Return To War

Just 20 months after a de facto ceasefire between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), a series of armed clashes resumed in three locations in northern Rakhine,...

Center for Arakan Studies

Tags