Escalating Conflict in Myanmar Forces Police to Seek Refuge in Neighboring Country
The conflict between Myanmar’s military government and the anti-junta armed group has led to 14 border police officers fleeing to Bangladesh. According to Bangladesh Minister of Internal Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the officers entered the country and have been detained after requesting asylum. Efforts are being made to send them back to Myanmar. Security at the border has been increased as a result of the conflicts, and Bangladesh is not allowing anyone to cross the border, which may delay the return process of Rohingya refugees. Additionally, a Bangladeshi border security official confirmed that border police had been disarmed.
The armed groups from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Buddhist Arakan Army, and Ta’ang National Liberation Army, collectively known as the “Three Brothers Alliance”, launched attacks against the Myanmar army from the Shan state near the Chinese border. The groups succeeded in capturing a police station and a military camp in the town of Rathedaung in the Chin state, which is situated on the border with India. Furthermore, 43 soldiers who escaped the attacks of the Buddhist Arakan Army sought shelter in the state of Mizoram, with Indian security forces later transporting them to another location and handing them over to Myanmar.
There are also reports that the Buddhist Arakan Army has taken control of the town of Paletwa in the Chin state, near the Indian border. The conflicts between these armed groups and the Myanmar army continue to escalate, causing border police and soldiers to seek refuge in neighboring countries like Bangladesh and India. The situation remains tense as both sides engage in clashes and territorial disputes.
