51 Border Controls, “Counter-Terrorism,” and the NVC Rohingya interviewed by Fortify Rights, whom Myanmar authorities forced to accept NVCs while imprisoned or upon release from prison, faced torture and lengthy prison sentences for alleged immigration violations or “terrorism”-related charges. Rohingya and other Muslims in Myanmar, who are generally viewed as “foreigners,” “terrorists,” or, at best, “terrorist sympathizers” by the Myanmar authorities, are particularly at risk of imprisonment under such charges despite the lack of evidence.142 The Myanmar authorities have used the development of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya militant group formally known as Harakh al Yaqin, to bolster their claims and justify the NVC process. The authorities have long warned of perceived threats posed by Muslims. For example, a Myanmar military powerpoint that was reportedly used to train military cadets and obtained by Al Jazeera, claims the country faces “the danger of being swallowed up by Bangladeshi Chittagonian Indian Muslims,” using the ethnic slur “kalar” in reference to Rohingya.143 Moreover, on November 7, 2017, Director of the Rakhine State Immigration and Population Department Aung Min, said: “[ARSA members] have seriously threatened villagers not to get the NVC. They have made death threats to villagers. These threats prompt villagers here not to apply for the card. The reason is the NVC cards can help distinguish between local people and immigrants. They don’t want that.”144 On November 23, 2017, the President’s Office released a statement, saying, “This work [issuing NVCs] was already being conducted in recent months but was delayed due to the ARSA extremist terrorists attack of 25 August.” The statement went on to say the authorities “will take action against anyone who threatens villagers under the Counter-Terrorism Law.”145 The government is not wrong in its conclusion that ARSA is opposed to the NVC process. On February 3, ARSA released a 69-page report via Twitter in the English language, stating, “Today, the Burmese terrorist military and government are on the course of destruction of the Rohingya as a whole.”146 ARSA publicly condemned the NVC process, calling the cards “meaningless and illegitimate.”147 The group also said the Myanmar government is “forcing repatriated Rohingya to accept the National Verification Card (NVC) despite the fact that Rohingya [are an] indigenous native ethnic community of Arakan State.”148 142 In documents obtained by Fortify Rights, local officials testified that Rohingya “snuck” over the border from Bangladesh into Rakhine State, armed and connected to international terrorist organizations, and planned to occupy Rakhine State. Director General Kyaw Soe, Submission on the Development of Rakhine State, October 15, 2013, on file with Fortify Rights. See also, Yale Law School and Fortify Rights, Persecution of the Rohingya Muslims. 143 “Genocide Agenda: Documents Presented as Evidence,” Al Jazeera, October 25, 2015, https://www.aljazeera. com/indepth/features/2015/10/genocide-agenda-documents-presented-evidence-151025142655214.html (accessed August 23, 2019). 144 “Threats to NV Card Applicants by Terrorists: Rakhine Villagers,” Global New Light of Myanmar, November 8, 2017, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs23/NLM-2017-11-08-NRS.pdf (accessed August 23, 2019). 145 The Republic of the Union of Myanmar President Office, “Threats Against NVC Applicants Won’t be Tolerate,” undated, http://www.president-office.gov.mm/en/?q=issues/rakhine-state-affairs/id-8023. 146 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, Reviving the Courageous Hearts: A Report by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, February 3, 2019, https://www.scribd.com/document/398814696/Report-1 (accessed August 23, 2019). 147 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, “Turning Ambush Against the Burmese Terrorist Army,” January 7, 2018. 148 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, “Burmese Terrorist Government and its Terrorist Military Regime Plan for the Ultimate Annihilation of Rohingya,” January 27, 2018.