A–Z index
October 2012: The Second Wave of Organized Violence
In late October 2012, a second and geographically wider wave of violence struck Rohingya and other Muslim communities across Arakan. Attacks affected nine townships, including Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukphyu, Ramree, Kyauktaw and Rathedaung. Rohingya testimony described large armed groups arriving from outside local areas, sometimes by organized groups of boats, while entire Muslim settlements were burned and tens of thousands displaced. The massacre at Yan Thei, where Human Rights Watch documented at least 70 Rohingya killed including 28 children, became one of the deadliest incidents. Contemporary Rohingya organisations described the attacks as organized, while later investigations found significant evidence of coordination across the October violence.
Olod Arakan
The history of Old Arakan from its early kingdoms to British rule and the Second World War, including the development of its Buddhist and Muslim communities and the historical roots of the Rohingya.
Origins and Historical Formation of the Rohingya
A historical examination of the origins and formation of the Rohingya, tracing Arakan's position as a Bay of Bengal frontier, early Muslim presence, the Mrauk-U period, colonial transformation, population movements, political organization and the development of modern Rohingya identity.