A video has spread on social media claiming that the armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is roaming openly with weapons in the Ruma area of Bandarban. In the video, several armed individuals wearing military uniforms can be seen.

See some Facebook posts circulated with this claim: here, here, here, here.

See Instagram posts circulated with the same claim: here, here.

See a post circulated on X: here.

See the claim circulated on YouTube: here.

Fact-check

Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation found that the discussed video is not of KNF members roaming openly with weapons in Ruma, Bandarban. Rather, it is a video of the armed group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from the Philippines.

In this investigation, the exact same video was found on a YouTube channel named “Shooter Channel” on July 29 (here). The word “Philippines” is mentioned in English in the video’s title. Reviewing the channel shows several other videos of individuals wearing similar uniforms roaming with weapons in hilly areas (1, 2, 3).

On July 31, the same video was also published on a Facebook account named “Basilan Biaf” (here). The caption in Filipino reads: “Surround yourself with people who respect you, those who belittle your personality should not be allowed near you.” The transparency section of the account shows it is operated from the Philippines.

Observation of the video shows that the clothing of the armed individuals has two types of badges—one rectangular and the other circular. These badges match the badges of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the Philippines (1, 2).

Therefore, a video of the armed group MILF from the Philippines has been circulated claiming it shows KNF members roaming openly with weapons in Ruma, Bandarban; this claim is false.