Organization Background

Arakan State is located in the western part of Union Burma (Union of
Myanmar), bordering with Bangladesh and India’s Northeast region.
The state’s population is over four million people.
Due to the political repression, human rights abuses, use of
forced labors, forced military services, ethnic discrimination, land
confiscation, and extra taxation; thousands of Arakanese have run into
Malaysia to seek for protection. Without a formal stat’s assistances by
the host country, the refugees end up in jails, deportations, lack of
foods, lack of shelters, and lack of health care services.
In order to response these critical needs, Arakan Refugee
Relief Committee (ARRC) was established by the refugees in 2004.
ARRC present significant responses areas are: providing
foods, shelters, and health care, coordinating with the local clinics,
hospitals, and UNHCR. It assists the refugees’ legal aids, basic
education for both children and young adults, consultation between
employees and employers payrolls and compensations dispute. It also
helps asylum seekers to get registration at the local UNHCR and
resettlement in third countries.
ARRC current members are 8,215. The organization is run by selffunding
under the management of Association of Arakan National
Council Supporting (ANC‐S).