AA chief posts photos of mass surrender 

By Admin 06 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
6 May 2024, Sittwe

Major-General Twan Mrat Naing, commander-in-chief of the Arakkha Army (AA), on Sunday posted a pair of photos purportedly showing hundreds of junta soldiers and Muslims raising white flags on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

The photos were reportedly taken on Saturday. Along with the pictures, the AA chief satirically wrote a selection of lyrics from a military marching song that praises the Myanmar military’s gallantry.

A local politician said the Muslims shown raising white flags were believed to be conscripts who had surrendered in fighting in Buthidaung.

“This is another proof that the regime is using Muslims to fight. Those Muslims and junta soldiers [in the photos] must be from Buthidaung. I learnt that junta soldiers in Buthidaung surrendered recently,” he said.

Hundreds of junta soldiers and their families including the deputy battalion commander of the 15th Military Operations Command based in Buthidaung surrendered on May 2. Among them were Muslim conscripts.

The regime has forcibly conscripted Muslims in Arakan State and forced them to fight the AA.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, Arakan Rohingya Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organization have also reportedly sided with the regime in its fight against the AA.

The AA said it had seized a military headquarters, border guard police headquarters and at least four battalions in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships recently, and that many junta soldiers were on the run.