Japanese peace negotiator urges permanent halt to fighting between Myanmar military and AA

06 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
6 February 2023, Sittwe

Yohei Sasakawa, the Japanese special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, has reportedly urged the United League of Arakan (ULA), the political wing of the Arakan Army (AA), to put an end to hostilities between the Myanmar military and the ethnic armed group.

The Japanese peace broker visited camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township on February 4, and held talks with ULA officials whom he urged to cease the fighting with the military, a source close to the ULA’s senior leadership told DMG.

“The reason he [Sasakawa] came to Arakan State was to build schools and provide healthcare for children in displacement camps. He told ULA officials to keep both sides in check to prevent a fight between the military and the AA,” the source added.

Sasakawa visited the Myatanzaung, Myothit, Myo Oo Gaung and Teinnyo IDP camps in Mrauk-U Township, and donated warm clothes for some 20,000 displaced people.

“He didn’t say anything about our return, and just told us about his life. He pledged that he would provide necessary assistance to us for the safe return of IDPs when peace and stability is restored in Arakan State,” said Ko Tun Lin, manager of the Myo Oo Gaung displacement camp.

The Myanmar military and Arakan Army have observed an informal ceasefire since late November, after some four months of often-intense fighting. The AA has credited the Japanese envoy with mediating the latest peace talks.

“It can be said that he is a key person in the mediation process for the ceasefire in Arakan State,” said U Thaung Shwe, an ex-legislator for the Lower House. “Depending on the ceasefire between the military and the AA, I see him doing the right thing. And I see that he will do public works. I think that he appealed to both sides to do public works and then negotiated.

Sasakawa also visited Myanmar in late 2020, when he urged the now-ousted civilian government to hold elections in several Arakan State townships where general election voting in November of that year had been cancelled due to military-AA fighting.