Military’s summoning of Muslim administrators ‘an attempt to disrupt rule of law’ in Arakan: AA spox

By DMG 09 Sep 2021

DMG Newsroom
9 September 2021, Kyauktaw 

A spokesman for the United League of Arakan and Arakan Army (ULA/AA) has condemned the military’s recent sit-down with some Muslim administrators in Arakan State, at which Tatmadaw officials instructed the local leaders not to accept the ULA/AA’s administrative outreach. 

“We were informed that the Myanmar military summoned the Muslim village chiefs in Kyauktaw Township and told them not to accept the AA administration and not to report any cases to the ULA/AA. We condemn this act because it is an attempt by the Myanmar military to disrupt the rule of law in Arakan State,” U Khaing Thukha, the ethnic armed group’s spokesman, said on September 9. 

“On the other hand, they [the Myanmar military] are trying to take advantage of the ceasefire period. This is completely unacceptable for us,” he added. 

The military summoned some local Muslim administrators in Kyauktaw Township on September 6, telling them not to accept an offer of police and administrative training courses to be provided by the Arakan Army.  

The summoning of the village administrators in Kyauktaw Township came weeks after the ULA/AA issued a statement on August 1 encouraging the public to file legal complaints with a parallel judiciary that it has been working to establish. 

Also last month, the Tatmadaw summoned more than a dozen ward and village administrators from Kyaukphyu town, pressuring them to inform the military government regarding the activities of the Arakan Army and its recent administrative initiatives. 

There have been no clashes between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army for some 10 months, but locals say they are worried the fighting may resume amid stepped up military patrols in some Arakan State townships.