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ConflictsMyanmar

Rohingya caught in the middle of Myanmar's civil war

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January 2, 2026

Rohingya refugees are facing a new crisis. Trapped between Myanmar's military and rebels, many are being forcibly recruited. A safe return remains impossible amid civil war.

Many Rohingya, one of the largest stateless groups in the world, fled their homeland in Myanmar in 2017 amid brutal repression by the country’s military. Nearly a million ended up in neighboring Bangladesh, where they have few opportunities.

Rohingya have continued to flee Myanmar, targeted not only by the military but also by the Arakan Army, a mainly Buddhist rebel group in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Now, both sides appear to be "recruiting" Rohingya for their fight, including forcibly taking people into the conflict.

Myanmar has said the Rohingya can return to the country, but with a civil war raging against the military rulers, what would they return to? The Rohingya are caught in the middle once again.

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