AA again claims sole right to represent Arakan people

By DMG 20 Sep 2022

DMG Newsroom
20 September 2022, Sittwe

The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) has urged the members of fellow Arakanese parties and armed organisations to work under its umbrella, while hinting that it would not accept a merger.

At a press conference on Monday, AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha said: “For competent individuals including those from other parties who really want to work for the [Arakan] nation with genuine commitment to nationalism, we have tasks for them, and we are ready to assign them.”

U Khaing Thukha, however, implied that the AA would not accept a merger with other organisations.

“Each and every one that would cooperate with us must not be partisan, and we will only accept those who really want to work for the [Arakan] nation. It is difficult for us to accept those who offer to cooperate based on partisanship, because it can harm unity,” he said.

After many years, the Arakan revolution has achieved little progress because of a lack of unity, said the AA spokesman. The AA would put the principle of a single Arakan army into practice, U Khaing Thukha added, reiterating a controversial remark he made last month in which he asserted that there was no need for revolutionary armed forces in Arakan State other than the AA.

“We won’t let people take up arms for various reasons and various ideologies in our [Arakan] nation. This is dangerous to the security and stability of the country. So, we have firmly said that we are the only army in Arakan,” he said.

The Arakan National Council/Arakan Army (ANC/AA) and Arakan Liberation Party/Arakan Liberation Army (ALP/ALA) have both rebuked the AA spokesman for those previous remarks.

There must be public consultation between Arakanese ethnic armed groups, people and politicians for the armed groups to cooperate with political and military dignity, said Lieutenant Colonel Khaing Kyaw Soe of the ALA.

“His remarks sound like we have to dissolve our groups and incorporate into it [the AA’s military structure], rather than cooperate as equal partners,” he said.

The AA spokesman at Monday’s press conference said the AA is not worried about what appears to be close ties between the ALP and the regime, as the former has joined peace talks invited by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.