Analysis: Arakan Army’s Digital Propaganda Fuels Attacks on Rohingya Identity
As violence continues across Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the conflict is increasingly extending into the digital sphere, where the terrorist Arakan Army (AA) and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), are accused of using a growing network of media outlets and social media platforms to shape public opinion and obscure serious allegations of abuses against the Rohingya.
An analysis reviewed by The Daily East describes an expanding media operation associated with the AA and ULA that uses websites, social media accounts, documentaries and other digital content to promote the group's narrative while portraying the Rohingya as a security threat.
Rohingya activists and human rights investigators have accused these platforms of spreading disinformation, anti-Rohingya narratives and politically motivated claims designed to justify the AA's actions and weaken international attention to alleged killings, arbitrary detention, forced displacement and other abuses committed by the terrorist Arakan Army (AA).
The information campaign comes as the AA has seized control of large areas of Rakhine State through its armed offensive. Reports from human rights organizations and local activists have documented serious allegations of violence against Rohingya civilians in areas where AA forces have operated.
Building a Propaganda Network
The terrorist Arakan Army (AA) and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), have built an increasingly active media network to promote their narratives about the conflict in Rakhine State and shape perceptions of the Rohingya.
Among the platforms identified in the analysis are the Global Arakan Network, Narinjara, and Development Media Group, along with associated social media channels and other outlets that regularly publish content aligned with the AA and ULA's narratives.
The Global Arakan Network has emerged as one of the prominent platforms in this network, producing fake and disinformation and other digital content that critics say attempts to portray the AA's military actions in a favorable light while minimizing or diverting attention from reported abuses against Rohingya civilians.
These outlets have been used to promote several recurring narratives, including presenting the AA as the legitimate authority in Rakhine State, describing its military operations as security or counterterrorism activities, and challenging the historical identity and rights of the Rohingya.
The network also circulates content that portrays Rohingya communities as a security threat and reinforces claims used to justify AA operations against them. Critics say such narratives contribute to the wider criminalization and marginalization of the Rohingya.
At the same time, documentation of developments in areas where AA forces operate remains severely limited. Access for independent journalists, human rights investigators and other outside observers is restricted, making it difficult to independently document abuses, verify competing claims and maintain a complete record of events on the ground.
The limited access has become particularly significant in northern Rakhine State, where reports of killings, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, property seizures and other abuses have emerged while independent documentation remains difficult.
Targeting Rohingya identity
One of the central elements identified in the analysis is the continued portrayal of the Rohingya as outsiders or illegal immigrants.
Rohingya activists say these narratives are not simply political arguments but part of a broader campaign to deny the community's historical presence in Rakhine State and undermine its claims to land, citizenship and other rights.
The analysis links this digital narrative to reports of destruction of homes, seizure of property and livestock, displacement and demographic changes in parts of northern Rakhine State, particularly in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships.
Human rights advocates have warned that the denial of a community's identity can contribute to discrimination and make abuses easier to justify or conceal.
Allegations used to justify violence
The AA has repeatedly accused the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army of operating in areas where its forces conduct military operations. Activists cited in the analysis argue that such accusations have been used to portray broader actions against Rohingya communities as security operations.
The analysis also points to the circulation of unverified or selective accounts of communal violence that can portray Rohingya civilians as a collective security threat.
Such narratives are particularly sensitive in a region with a long history of communal violence and mass displacement. Independent verification is essential because information emerging from conflict areas can be difficult to authenticate.
The report argues that the combination of military pressure and information campaigns risks creating a narrative environment in which abuses against civilians are minimized while victims are portrayed as responsible for the violence directed against them.
Propaganda alongside reported abuses
The AA's expanding media presence comes amid mounting allegations of serious abuses by its forces against Rohingya and other civilians.
The analysis cites reports concerning arbitrary detention, forced recruitment, forced labor, extortion, sexual violence and killings. It also refers to allegations involving attacks on civilians and the destruction or seizure of property.
The AA has previously rejected accusations of wrongdoing and has presented its armed struggle as part of its political objectives in Rakhine State. However, competing claims should not replace independent investigations into alleged violations.
For Rohingya activists, the concern is that propaganda can serve to obscure evidence of abuses and make accountability more difficult.
International attention grows
The information campaign is unfolding as international scrutiny of the AA increases.
The analysis says the United Kingdom has been reviewing evidence concerning possible targeted sanctions against the AA and ULA over allegations of abuses against Rohingya civilians.
Human rights activists are calling for independent investigations into alleged violations and greater scrutiny of media networks accused of spreading propaganda against the Rohingya.
They also argue that evidence of abuses must be preserved before it is lost, particularly in areas where journalists and international investigators have limited access.
Activists warn of consequences
Rohingya activists cited in the analysis say online propaganda has contributed to hostility toward their community and risks deepening divisions between ethnic and religious groups.
Sahat Zia Hero described the circulation of anti Rohingya narratives as a serious example of misinformation and called for claims shared online to be critically examined and independently verified.
Other activists have warned against using resistance to Myanmar's military as a justification for denying civilian suffering or attempting to erase the demographic presence of the Rohingya.
Zarni Soe argued that opposition to the Myanmar military should not be used to justify denying the existence and rights of Rohingya communities following the AA's expansion into northern Rakhine State. He also called for equal accountability and rejection of hate based narratives.
The battle over truth
The conflict in Rakhine State is no longer fought only through armed operations. Control over information has become another important element of the struggle.
For the Rohingya, activists say the consequences of digital propaganda can extend beyond social media. Narratives that deny their identity, portray civilians as security threats or minimize alleged abuses can contribute to a wider environment of discrimination, displacement and violence.
The growing influence of AA affiliated media therefore requires greater scrutiny from journalists, technology companies, researchers and international organizations.
Independent verification remains essential, particularly when information is produced or distributed by actors directly involved in the conflict.
The international community must look beyond carefully managed narratives and continue investigating allegations of violence against civilians, preserving evidence and ensuring that victims are not erased from the historical record.
For the Rohingya, the struggle is not only over territory but also over whether their identity, history and experiences of persecution will remain visible in the international record.