Data. Insight. Accountability
Analyzing Conflict. Exposing Networks. Informing Policy.
Arakan Strategic Forum (ASF) is an independent research and analysis platform focused on Myanmar’s western conflict ecosystem — where politics, narcotics, and human displacement intersect.
Featured Reports
- By ASF
Criminalizing the Victims by Arakan Army: How Rohingya Are Blamed for Their Own Flight
In northern Arakan, displacement of Rohingya Muslims is not treated as a humanitarian consequence of coercion and fear, but as proof of wrongdoing. Under the control of the Arakan Army, a consistent narrative has emerged in which Rohingya flight is.......
- By ASF
360 Rohingya Detained: How the Arakan Army Is Turning Buthidaung into a Landscape of Fear
Since late 2024, more than 360 Rohingya civilians have reportedly been detained by the terrorist Arakan Army (AA) amid intensifying so-called “security restrictions” across Buthidaung Township in Myanmar’s Arakan (Rakhine) State. Arrests surged after AA consolidated control over rural tracts,.......
- By ASF
Price Punishment: Why Rohingya Pay More for Food After AA Seizes Their Land
Across northern Arakan State, the Arakan Army has turned food into a weapon against Rohingya civilians. After seizing farmland in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung, it destroyed local food production and engineered scarcity. Communities once self-sufficient in rice, vegetables, and fish.......
Who We Are
Arakan Strategic Forum (ASF) is an independent, research-driven platform dedicated to understanding and documenting the evolving conflict and security landscape of Myanmar’s western frontier — particularly the Arakan (Rakhine) region and its regional implications across Bangladesh, India, and the Bay of Bengal.
ASF brings together field researchers, data analysts, and policy observers to produce verified, intelligence-grade assessments that help governments, media, and humanitarian organizations make informed decisions.
Our Mission
To expose, analyze, and communicate the underlying systems of conflict, crime, and displacement shaping western Myanmar and its borderlands — through verified data, professional reporting, and policy-oriented analysis.
ASF strives to:
- Document the truth behind disinformation and armed propaganda.
- Trace transnational crime, narcotics, and trafficking networks that finance violence.
- Amplify credible field-verified information for humanitarian and policy response.
Promote regional awareness and accountability in line with international norms.
Our Vision
To establish Arakan Strategic Forum (ASF) as a trusted centre of analytical excellence—bridging the gap between ground realities and policy tables, and contributing to a stable, just, and informed region where facts, not propaganda, define the narrative.
ASF is committed to fostering evidence-based understanding of Myanmar’s western frontier by combining field intelligence, data analytics, and strategic foresight. Through rigorous verification, multidisciplinary research, and collaboration with credible local and international experts, we aim to illuminate complex realities that often remain hidden or distorted.
Our mission extends beyond observation — we seek to shape policy discourse, strengthen regional awareness, and support decision-makers in building responses grounded in truth, context, and long-term stability. ASF aspires to be a platform where knowledge meets integrity, serving those who value clarity over noise and insight over influence.
Our Core Values
Integrity
All information undergoes multi-source verification before publication.
Neutrality
ASF maintains analytical independence from all political or armed entities.
Confidentiality
Sources and field data are protected through secure protocols.
Accountability
Every report is open to scrutiny and factual review.
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reallyus
Criminalizing the Victims by Arakan Army: How Rohingya Are Blamed for Their Own Flight
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360 Rohingya Detained: How the Arakan Army Is Turning Buthidaung into a Landscape of Fear
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Arakan Army force Rohingya Muslim businessmen to become so called partners in their businesses
Our Research & Approach
At Arakan Strategic Forum (ASF), our research focuses on the intersection of conflict, security, and regional stability — translating complex realities into verified, intelligence-grade insights.
We examine five core domains:
Conflict & Security Dynamics – Mapping armed actors, territorial changes, and operational trends across the Arakan region and its borderlands.
Transnational Crime & Narcotics – Tracking production routes, trafficking networks, and the financial systems sustaining illicit economies.
Humanitarian Impact & Displacement – Documenting civilian harm, forced migration, and the humanitarian fallout of ongoing conflicts.
Information Warfare & Propaganda – Analyzing digital narratives, state-sponsored disinformation, and influence operations shaping perception.
Policy & Regional Stability – Translating field intelligence into actionable recommendations for policymakers and international stakeholders.
ASF’s methodology integrates Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), on-the-ground reporting, and data-driven visualization, ensuring each publication meets international analytical standards. Through this balanced and disciplined approach, ASF bridges the gap between local realities and global understanding, contributing to a clearer, more informed policy dialogue on Myanmar’s evolving crisis.
Disclaimer
Arakan Strategic Forum (ASF) is an independent, research-oriented platform. All reports, analyses, and assessments published by ASF are produced for informational and academic purposes only. The views expressed in ASF publications represent the authors’ analytical interpretations and do not necessarily reflect the positions of any government, organization, or entity.
ASF does not endorse or support any political party, armed group, or ideological movement.
While every effort is made to verify information through credible sources and multi-layer validation, ASF cannot guarantee absolute accuracy or completeness of all data, especially in conflict-affected environments.
Use of ASF materials should be accompanied by proper citation. ASF accepts no liability for decisions or actions taken based on its content.