Locals report bribery in ULA departmental recruitment

By Admin 26 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

26 January 2026, Mrauk-U

The Arakan Army is accelerating its administrative functions after establishing judicial, education and healthcare departments across 14 townships in Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State.

However, investigations have found that bribery and corruption are emerging in recruitment for departmental training programmes run by the United League of Arakan.

Sources close to the matter said bribery and financial exchanges have been used to secure places in teacher training programmes intended to strengthen the Department of Education.

According to education staff circles, bribes of up to K3 million per person were paid to gain admission to the B.Ed. training programme for Senior Assistant Teacher posts organized by the ULA Department of Education.

“There are people who paid K3 million to get positions for Senior Assistant Teacher roles. I can say for certain that an acquaintance of mine bribed the ULA education department. I do not know how many others also paid to get in,” said an education worker in Mrauk-U Township.

Sources close to the ULA Department of Education said the B.Ed. training is being provided to graduates based on their respective majors.

Similarly, the Department of Public Health is recruiting trainees for positions such as health supervisors, midwives and nurse aids to strengthen healthcare services in Arakan State.

Many young people across Arakan State have applied for these programmes based on their educational qualifications. However, reports say some applicants are competing through bribery, paying between K1 million and K2 million to secure places in nursing training.

“My niece had to pay a K1 million bribe to get the chance to attend midwifery training. They promised that if she did not get in, they would return the money. At first, they returned it, but later they came back asking for the money again, saying she would be included after all. They also made an agreement not to disclose these details,” said a resident of a village in Kyauktaw Township.

Critics said bribery in the recruitment of trainees for sectors such as education and healthcare, which are vital for the reconstruction of Arakan State, is disadvantaging those with genuine merit.

Members of the public have criticized the presence of corruption during efforts to build self-administration as an alternative to the Myanmar military regime, warning that it could worsen conditions compared with previous administrations.

“While the ULA enjoys strong public support, it is essential to prevent such corruption. If money outweighs merit, it will be no different from before and public trust will decline. This issue must be addressed properly,” said a youth working for a civil society organization in Arakan State.

Observers said the ULA departmental staff recruitment committee should properly oversee and take action against reported cases of bribery and corruption.

While the Arakan Army, which has seized control of up to 15 townships, is providing public services, analysts noted that many weaknesses remain.