Junta boss tells Brotherhood Alliance to ‘abandon armed path’

By Admin 15 Dec 2024

DMG Newsroom
15 December 2024, Sittwe

Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has called on the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which includes the Arakkha Army (AA), to “abandon the armed path and get on the right path.”

The regime leader made the remarks in his message marking the 50th anniversary of Arakan State Day on Sunday.

“We cannot demand our rights through armed violence. Only through peaceful means, such as coming to the political table, will we be able to resolve the conflicts. I would like to urge the Three Brotherhood Alliance to abandon the armed path and get on the right path,” the coup leader said.

The actions of the AA, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which are collectively known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, have worsened the socio-economic conditions of ethnic people and caused the suffering of innocent people due to their destructive actions, according to Min Aung Hlaing, who is also Myanmar’s self-appointed acting president and prime minister.

The military chief said the MNDAA, TNLA and AA have emerged at the forefront of those wanting to stand alone rather than walk the path of multi-party democracy and build a union together.

“Young villagers were lured with drugs and forced to join the fighting,” he claimed.

His message said that only by following the path of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) can the country build a peaceful and prosperous nation, and that he invites discussions and always keeps the door to peace open.

Min Aung Hlaing added that achieving peace can only be achieved through political dialogue and solutions, free from foreign interference and domestic manipulation.

His comments were disputed by critics in Arakan State.

“Myanmar’s political landscape is undergoing a transformation that the people want. Only this change will lead to a true federal democratic union. What the regime is saying now is to ease its own pain,” said an Arakanese politician.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance’s “Operation 1027” — launched in northern Shan State on October 27, 2023 — resulted in the regime losing large swaths of territory, and the operation has had a significant impact on the revolutionary forces fighting against the military dictatorship.

Anti-regime groups have captured 86 towns across the country, mostly in ethnic areas including northern Shan and Arakan states.