Arakan National Council (ANC) Statement on the State Counselor’s Diplomatic Briefing

On behalf of the Arakanese people as a whole, we, Arakan National Council would like to express our special thanks to the State Counselor for her diplomatic briefing delivered on September 19, 2017, reflecting her constructive and impartial views and positions for all stakeholders concerned.

However, the current conflict is not confined to the Arakanese people alone, nor is it an ethnic or religious conflict between the Arakanese and Bengali/Muslim Communities. It essentially is territorial expansionism and terrorism that stems from illegal immigration, threatening national sovereignty, rule of law and public property and security. Hence, we wish the government leaders enact to control the terminology that might create a misconception that the conflict is limited to the Arakanese people only and breaks out of their racial and religious extremism. For example, such terminology as

• Rakhine Riot
• Rakhine-Muslim/Bengali Riot
• Rakhine-Muslim/Bengali Conflict
• Rakhine-Muslim/Bengali Issue
• Riot/Conflict/Issue between Rakhine-Muslim/Bengali Communities

  shall be avoided and instead

• Illegal Immigration Issue from Northern Rakhine State / Terrorism and Territorial Expansionism Issue shall be applied.

We do anticipate that with the aim of achieving national reconciliation, sustainable peace and development, serious heed will be paid to the perspectives of the officially-elected local party’s representatives and the stakeholders engaged in the current peace and state building process and opportunities for cooperation will be opened in handling this issue.

Central Executive Committee

Arakan National Council (ANC)

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