AA touts efforts to promote trust among different ethnicities in Arakan State

By DMG 11 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
11 August 2022, Sittwe 

There has been greater trust and unity of late among the diverse ethnic groups and races in Arakan State, Arakan Army (AA) spokesman U Khaing Thukha said during the Arakanese ethnic armed group’s monthly press conference on Thursday. 

The Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), are working to improve ties with non-Arakanese ethnicities, the AA spokesman added. 

“There has been greater unity as a certain degree of trust could be built among diverse ethnicities and races living in Arakan State. We are trying to expand and systematise the judicial system of the ULA/AA,” he said. 

The Myanmar military has been increasingly disruptive of this endeavour, U Khaing Thukha said, accusing the junta of having it out for the AA/ULA and its judicial initiatives because they promote friendship between different ethnicities in Arakan State. 

“There are delays as the Myanmar military obstructs us from administering justice, but people in Arakan State have greater trust in the judicial office of the ULA and have cooperated with us more,” he said. 

“No matter how the Myanmar military suppresses, public cooperation with us shows that our judicial system has become more systematic and stronger, and people have trust in our judicial system,” the AA spokesman said at Thursday’s press conference. 

Public support for the ULA/AA has reached its peak in Arakan State, he claimed, adding that since the military can’t defeat the AA, it is taking its anger out on innocent civilians by arresting them without cause and in large numbers.