ALP says Sittwe patrols are for Arakan State capital’s security 

By Admin 12 Sep 2024

DMG Newsroom
12 September 2024, Sittwe

Members of the Arakan Liberation Party/Arakan Liberation Army (ALP/ALA) led by Saw Mra Razar Lin are patrolling Sittwe to ensure the security of the Arakan State capital, despite “fuel problems,” according to a party official.

In a video clip released on September 11, Khaing Aung Naing from the ALP’s Organizing Department said that ALP members are protecting people’s lives and arresting looters.

“The ALP has been taking care of the people in Sittwe since April. But the ALP is not the government, so it can’t be done [by ALP members alone]. We have been patrolling in Sittwe despite the fuel problems,” he said.

The ALP also provides healthcare services to civilians in Sittwe, Khaing Aung Naing added.

Some residents, however, say the ALP is rather working with the regime to arrest and extort money from people.

“Rather than safeguarding the security of the people in Sittwe, the ALP is cooperating with the regime and arresting innocent people. The extent to which the ALP provides public security is only at the level of informing the regime,” said a local man in Sittwe.

Since November 2023, the ALP has been working with the regime to arrest civilians in Sittwe and extort money from travellers and traders, critics of the group say.

Residents confirm that the ALP is openly participating in the regime’s arrest and prosecution of Sittwe residents, as well as conducting joint military operations.

“The ALP was formed to fight for the liberation of Arakan State. Now the ALP is cooperating with the regime,” said U Pe Than, a military analyst and former lawmaker in Arakan State. “Regarding the notion that the ALP is working for the security of Sittwe, it is only working in cooperation with the regime.”

If the Arakkha Army (AA) succeeds in capturing Sittwe, the ALP could be finished, U Pe Than said, adding that if ALP troops really want to fight for the liberation of Arakan State, it is time to cooperate with the AA.

Top ALP leaders have said that they are ready to face an AA attack on Sittwe.

The ALP opened its headquarters in the Arakan State capital with the junta’s blessing. The group is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and is engaged in peace talks with the regime.