Myanmar’s Rakhine State is at a critical inflection point. Since November 2023, the long dominant Myanmar military, viewed by the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya as their oppressor, has rapidly lost ground to the Arakan Army. The trajectory of the conflict has significant implications: for the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced in Rakhine, the nearly one million Rohingya refugees forcibly displaced to Bangladesh by the military, and the many others impacted by decades of violence, underdevelopment, and natural disasters; for the future of politics, governance, and human rights throughout Myanmar; and for the geopolitical interests of Bangladesh, India, China, ASEAN, and the West.
This project will contribute research and analysis on conflict dynamics in Bangladesh and Myanmar, undertake dialogue and other initiatives that lay the foundation to address the proximate and root causes of conflict in Rakhine State, and engage a range of stakeholders across government, international organizations, and civil society to help shape a positive future for the people of Rakhine State, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
Testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on East Asia and the Pacific and South and Central Asia
November 19, 2025
The Arakan Army expands its influence across southwestern Myanmar with an extensive network of allies
June 5, 2025
Aftershocks, airstrikes, and aid restrictions hamper emergency response efforts, but fragile pauses on armed offensives offer some hope
April 3, 2025
China is taking advantage of the void in U.S. leadership in a critical arena in the Indo-Pacific
November 20, 2024
Mazher Mir interviews Steven Ross, a Senior Fellow at the Washington-based Stimson Center, specializing in peacebuilding and governance for fragile, conflict-affected communities
November 13, 2024
Amidst an array of domestic challenges, Bangladesh’s interim government faces conflict at its Myanmar border and an ongoing refugee crisis.
October 25, 2024
September 4, 2024