Peaceful coexistence is a principle that obligates different states, peoples or ethnic groups to maintain peace and security and to develop mutually beneficial cooperation between them. It is very important in international relations as well as relations within a multiracial, multi-religious and multilingual country and Myanmar is no exception, being one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the world, with ethnic minorities making at least one-third of the Myanmar’s 55 million population and inhabiting nearly half of the land area.
The Union of Burma/Myanmar was born on January 4, 1948 out of the combined efforts of all nationalities and ethnic groups of the country. They therefore collectively own it. The people of Burma have accepted ‘unity in diversity’ as the cardinal principle for peace, progress and stability of the Union. It means that the diverse people of the country have agreed to peacefully coexist which requires them to practice tolerance, mutual respect and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours and compatriots.
In the early history, Arakan was an independent kingdom ruled by Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. It is multicultural society with a population of diverse ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious entities. The Rohingya have always been to all intents and purposes an integral part of Arakan. They are predominantly Muslim community and are the second largest ethnic group in Arakan while Buddhist Rakhine are in majority. In addition, Kaman, Chin, Khami, That, Daignet (Chakma), Maramagyi, Hindu and others also inhabit Arakan. According to the court poet Shah Alwal, “the Muslim population of Arakan consisted roughly of four categories, namely the Bengalee, other Indian, Afro-Asian and native… The Arakanese Muslims introduce themselves to others as Rohingyas.”[1]
Being a thriving trading centre people from many parts of the world visited Arakan. Among them were nobles, traders, missionaries or preachers, warriors, administrators or statemen, poets and also captives (from Bengal) by Portuguese and Rakhine pirates. They also included people of ruling class invited by the Arakan kings who were mostly Muslims. There were people of high social rank among the captives and the celebrated Arakan court poet Shah Alwal, who was also commander of the cavalry, was one of those captives.
Historically Arakan had more interactions with Bengal than Burma maintaining close relations in the fields of culture, religion, education, trade and politics. The centuries-old relation between Arakan and Chittagong is influenced by geographical, ethnological, cultural and historical considerations. For a long time, the two territories had embraced each other under the same rule and influence. History testifies that the heyday of Arakan began with the influence and spread of Muslim civilisation in Arakan. The Burmese were envious of Arakan, particularly the period of their greatest strength and prosperity under the Muslim rule and influence.
The Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists had a long period of peaceful coexistence. Together they developed Arakan and defended its territorial integrity from external aggressions or invasions. Arakanese kings nurtured sincere admiration towards the Muslim communities. They entrusted the chief administrative posts of government departments, including that of the defence, to the Muslims. Burhanuddin, Ashraf Khan, Sri Bara Thakur were distinguished Lashkar Wazirs (Defence or War Ministers); Megan Thakur, Syyid Musa, Navaraj Majlis were efficient Prime Ministers, and Syyid Muhammad Khan, Srimanta Sulaiman were capable ministers in Arakan. There were lots of other efficient Muslim ministers, high civil and military officers. They contributed to the growth of Islamic culture in Arakan.
From 1430 to 1645, for a period of more than two hundred years, the Buddhist Arakanese kings took Muslim titles and used Muslim names in their coins. They followed Muslim traditions and culture at home. Col. Bashin, the then Chairman of the Burma Historical Commission states, “Arakan was virtually ruled by Muslims from 1430 to 1531.”[2]
In accordance with the Muslim tradition like Gaur and Delhi, the whole kingdom of Arakan was provided with the sets of officials by the imperial order. The head of officials was known as Qazi. Some of them were prominent in the history of Arakan. They are Daulat Qazi, Sala Qazi, Gawa Qazi, Shuza Qazi, Abdul Karim, Muhammad Hussain, Osman, Abdul Jabbar, Abdul Gafur, Mohammad Yousuf, Rawsan Ali and Nur Muhammad etc.[3] There was of course exchange of courtesies and cooperation in the fields of administration, economic and literary activities and common interest.
Muslim religious persons were admired and well respected. Speaking about a village named Bandar in Mrauk-U, Roshang [Arakan] Poet Abdul Karim Khondkar (17th-18th century) says,” There lived in the village qadis, muftis, ulama, religious faqirs and darwishes. Those high-ranking Muslims living there used to converse with the king on equal and friendly terms”.[4] Buddhists and Muslims had accepted that ‘diversity is strength, not weakness’ and they harmoniously existed together in Arakan. How charming their social interaction may be assessed from the following information:
“Magan Takur was a learned Muslim minister in Arakan. Buddhist King Narapadigyi trusted and loved him so much that, at the hour of his death he left his only daughter under Magan’s custody. When this princes became the principal queen of the Tado Mintar, she entrusted the Roshang [Arakan] king’s Chief Minister to Magan Thakur realising the guardianship she enjoyed in childhood.”[5] It was a true “peaceful coexistence”.
Unfortunately, these admirable relations between Rohingya and Rakhine began to deteriorate at the instigation of the third parties, during the long colonial rule. In addition, the Muslim Massacre of 1942 – in which about 100,000 Rohingyas were massacred, 50,000 of them were driven across the border to East Bengal and parts of Muslim settlements devastated – had caused rapid erosion in their relations. It was a ‘divide and rule’ stratagem machinated by Bo Ne Win (later Gen. Ne Win), who was then commander of Burma Independence Army (BIA) in Bassein, in order to destroy the Rohingya Muslims from the soil of Arakan before Burma independence. Rohingya leaders attempted in vain for reconciliation during and after independence. Rather it turned out to be a state policy after independence in 1948, particularly from seizure of power by Gen. Ne Win in 1962, continuing till today. It is a great misfortune ending the long “peaceful coexistence” between Rohingya and Rakhine, setting one people against the other while dividing them on ethnic and religious lines. For the military, xenophobic Rakhine or Burmese leaders it is a device to rid Arakan of the Muslim population ultimately. Today under intolerant state policy almost all Rakhines are hostile to the Rohingya in line with the military or successive military dominated regimes. Despite boomerang for them Rakhine feel charm over the genocidal extermination of Rohingya without feeling remorse.
Recently Arakan Army becomes one of the powerful ethnic armed groups in Myanmar controlling almost all areas of Arakan. But contrary to our expectations, Arakan Army (AA) with its political wing United League of Arakan (ULA) is more violent to the Rohingya committing widespread atrocity crimes against them, including murder, loots, rape, destruction of homes and properties, expulsion and removal from their hearth and home while resettling the Buddhist Rakhines on the traditional Rohingya lands. Today Arakan Army is no different from the Myanmar military. Both groups are forcibly recruiting Rohingya youths to be used in battle fields as cannon fodders and human shields and many of them perished.
Since 2024 more than 1000 Rohingya were killed by Arakan Army in northern Arakan, in addition to recent discovery of mass graves of about 600 Rohingyas killed from Htan Shauk Khan village in Buthidaung township. Moreover, at least 150,000 Rohingya men, women and children have freshly fled to Bangladesh, from Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, to escape the tyranny of AA. All these crimes against Rohingya have been well documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Fortify Rights and many other human rights activists urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate.
Being blinded by the charm of deceptive power, one cannot expect “peaceful coexistence” under AA unless good sense prevails in their mind. If the Rohingya and Rakhine remain at draggers drawn, none of them will either thrive or can at all exist in the truest sense of Arakanese. The people of Arakan are required to correctly assess their past glorious history, burry their differences and charter their own national destiny in accordance with their free will ensuring the future of the whole people of Arakan and their generations to come.
In order to promote peaceful coexistence, let all people of Arakan come forward with a commitment for unity and diversity, a respect for difference, willingness to share power. Let’s replace hatred with love and affection, the policy of confrontation and destruction with cooperation, peace and development, and work together in unison to achieve the best solution for our generations.
NURUL ISLAM
CHAIRMAN, ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ALLIANCE
[1] Dr S.B. Qanungo,“A History of Chittagong” Vol. 1, Signet Library, Chittagong, Bangladesh,1998, p.29.
[2] Ba Shin, “Coming of Islam 1700 AD”, A research paper presented at Azad Bhavan, New Delhi in 1961, p.4.
[3] Dr. Mohammed Ali Chowdhury, “Bengal-Arakan Relations: A study in Historical Perspective”, Bangkok 23-25 November 2000, p.6.
In Mahabubul Alama; Chattagramer Itihas (Purana Amal), Chittagong, 1965, pp.55-56
[4] Dr Mohammad Mohar Ali, “History of the Muslims of Bengal, Vol.1 B, Islamic Foundation, Bangladesh, Madina Printers, Dhaka (1985) p.795.
[5] Arakanese Research Society of Bangladesh, Arakanese Research Journal”, Vol. III, Cox’s Bazar, July 2005, p.16.