Spokesman defends AA's anti-regime role in Chin State

12 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

12 August 2025, Mrauk-U

The Arakan Army (AA) has attempted to distance itself from the feuding between Chin armed groups in Chin State, where its spokesman insisted the AA was only helping to drive out the military regime.

"The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) is helping the Chin Brotherhood, which is a sincere effort to drive the military regime out of Chin State," said U Khaing Thukha, spokesperson for the AA, at an online press conference on August 11.

His remarks came in response to some Chin locals' claims of AA involvement in a conflict between two Chin armed groups, the Interim Mara Council/Chin Defence Force (IMC/CDF) and the Mara Defence Force/Maraland Territorial Council (MDF/MTC).

Since July 14, clashes have been reported in Maraland, Chin State, between the Chinland Council member IMC/CDF - Mara and the Chin Brotherhood member MTC/MDF.

The CDF-Mara, a member of the Chinland Council, has claimed that the AA is reinforcing the MDF. U Khaing Thukha was responding to a reporter's question about the claim.

"I would like to state that ULA/AA has absolutely no involvement in the internal affairs of Chin armed groups," he said.

The ULA/AA and the Chin Brotherhood have established a strong alliance, with the former providing military advice and arms to the latter during battles for control of towns to drive out the military regime in Chin State.

"The AA prepares our battalions. The relationship between CB [Chin Brotherhood] and AA is not on paper. It is not about how many compromises are made on paper and how many agreements are made," Salai Yaw Mang, spokesman for the Chin Brotherhood, told DMG in an interview in June. "The relationship between CB and AA is soft and they are really building trust gradually."

The AA has lent its support not just to the Chin Brotherhood, but to several anti-regime armed groups across Myanmar, including the People's Defence Force.

"The AA is helping other anti-regime forces across the country. The AA is also helping the PDF by providing training and other support. As for why the AA is helping the armed groups, Chin State is the closest state to Arakan State, so it is an advantage that the military regime has been removed from this area," said a young social activist in Arakan State.

The ULA/AA has administratively restructured Paletwa Township in southern Chin State and is carrying out administrative tasks and regional development activities.

The ULA/AA was able to completely capture the junta bases and military camps in Paletwa Township in January 2024, making it the first township to be captured by the Arakanese ethnic armed group.

There have subsequently been criticisms that ULA/AA has committed human rights violations against the local Chin people in implementing its administrative mechanisms in Paletwa Township.