The Rohingya people ( are a stateless Indo-Aryan-speaking people who reside in Rakhine State, Myanmar. There were an estimated 1 million Rohingya living in Myanmar before the 2016-17 crisis. On 22 October 2017, the UN reported that an estimated 603,000 refugees from Rakhine, Myanmar had crossed the border into Bangladesh since August 25, 2017. This number increased to 624,000 by November 2, 2017, and over 625,000 by December 6, 2017.
Precipitating events
According to BBC reporters, during the summer of 2017, the Myanmar military began arming and training Rakhine Buddhist natives in northern Rakhine state, and in late summer advised that any ethnic Rakhines "wishing to protect their state" would be given the opportunity to join "the local armed police." Matthew Smith, chief executive of human rights organization Fortify Rights says that arming the Rakhines "was a decision made to effectively perpetrate atrocity crimes against the civilian population." At the same time, northern Rakhine state faced food shortages, and, starting in mid-August, the government cut off all food supply to the area. On August 10, the military flew in a battalion of reinforcements to the area, triggering a public warning from the resident United Nations human rights representative to Myanmar, who urged Myanmar authorities to restrain themselves.  A few weeks later, on August 24, 2017, the Rakhine Commission (chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan)--established by the new civilian Myanmar government to recommend solutions to the ethnic conflict and related issues in Rakhine state--released its recommendations for alleviating the suffering of minorities (especially the Rohingya), calling for measures that would improve security in Myanmar for the Rohingya, but not calling for all measures sought by various Rohingya factions.  The following morning, according to Myanmar military officials, a Rohingya rebel group--ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) -- led multiple coordinated attacks on 30 police outposts and border guards, killing a dozen government forces, at the cost of over 50 dead among the rebels.

Q: what were the precipitating events?
A: the Myanmar military began arming and training Rakhine Buddhist natives in northern Rakhine state, and

Q: why were they arming them?
A: in late summer advised that any ethnic Rakhines "wishing to protect their state" would be given the opportunity to join "the local armed police."
who were they protecting their state from?
" At the same time, northern Rakhine state faced food shortages, and, starting in mid-August, the government cut off all food supply to the area.
" At the same time, northern Rakhine state faced food shortages, and, starting in mid-August, the government cut off all food supply to the area.