A coalition of Rohingya leaders from Myanmar, refugee camps in Bangladesh, and the global diaspora has officially launched a new political body to represent the stateless minority and push for their rights and recognition on the international stage.

Named the Arakan Rohingya National Council (ARNC), the newly formed group announced its formation on Sunday, declaring its mission to provide a unified political voice for Rohingya people worldwide — both inside Myanmar and in exile.

In a statement, ARNC said it aims to fight for “rights, recognition, and political representation” of the Rohingya, who have long faced systemic discrimination and were the target of a brutal military crackdown in 2017 that the UN has described as genocide. More than 1.3 million Rohingya currently reside in refugee camps in Bangladesh, with no progress on large-scale repatriation.

The council comprises 40 members on its Central Executive Committee and 60 members on the broader Central Committee. Delegates reportedly represent almost every township in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, as well as key leaders from camps and the diaspora.

The ARNC said the group was created in response to decades of exclusion and violence, which have intensified in recent months.

Fresh Wave of Violence in Rakhine

The council also issued a strong condemnation of the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group currently controlling parts of Rakhine State, accusing it of a fresh wave of atrocities against Rohingya civilians.

According to ARNC, over 2,500 Rohingya have been killed by the Arakan Army since it seized territory, while tens of thousands have been forced to flee amid reports of “mass killings, widespread violence, and destruction.” The council claimed that roughly 150,000 additional Rohingya have recently fled to Bangladesh or embarked on perilous sea and land journeys to escape the ongoing violence — figures corroborated by recent UNHCR data.

“What is unfolding in Rakhine State under the Arakan Army is nothing short of a calculated and systematic genocide,” the council stated, urging urgent international intervention.

Despite global condemnation of past atrocities and repeated calls for accountability, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate — with no end in sight for one of the world’s most protracted refugee crises.

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