An armed ethnic group in Myanmar\u2019s western state of Rakhine has wrested administrative and judicial control from the country\u2019s military junta, which has been in power for almost one year, residents of the state told RFA.<\/P>
The Arakan Army (AA) began as a humble resistance group in 2009 but has grown to be one of Myanmar\u2019s most powerful ethnic military forces. It launched an insurgency in Rakhine before agreeing to an uneasy ceasefire with the military in 2020.<\/P>
When the country was taken over by the military in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, Rakhine was largely spared the violence that sprung up everywhere else in Myanmar. During that time, the AA and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), established a parallel administration that is now in de-facto control of the state, especially in the northern parts of it.<\/P>
It is now common to hear the Rakhine national anthem before major events and in schools before class starts, even in areas that once were the sight of intense fighting between Myanmar\u2019s military and the AA.<\/P>
Zaw Tun, a resident of Rakhine\u2019s Mrauk-U township, told RFA\u2019s Myanmar Service that his state typically followed the priorities as set by Myanmar\u2019s national government, without \u201cour own identity, our own beliefs, or our dreams.\u201d<\/P>
\u201cAfter two or three years of ULA and AA military operations, we are now surprised to find that Rakhine state has gone down its own path. Now we sing our own national anthem. We understand that this new state of affairs is based largely on the growing power of the ULA and AA,\u201d Zaw Tun said.<\/P>
Tun Win, a former member of Myanmar\u2019s lower house from Rakhine\u2019s Kyauktaw township, told RFA that it has become clear to Rakhine\u2019s residents that they \u201chave to create our destiny by shaping it with our own hands.\u201d<\/P>
\u201cWe find that more and more people here have accepted this concept of strengthening our own political beliefs. These sentiments are found in most people. We see a lot of confidence that we can achieve our desired political goals based on a strong national organization,” he said.<\/P>
During the ceasefire, the AA has controlled the state\u2019s administrative machinery. The judiciary in most areas is governed by the AA and the AA has urged residents to report all criminal incidents in Rakhine state to them since Aug 1 last year.<\/P>
Another former member of Myanmar\u2019s lower house, Aung Thaung Shwe, told RFA that more people rely on the courts run by the ULA than those of the Myanmar junta.<\/P>
\u201cNow we can see that the government\u2019s judiciary and the administrative machinery of the junta is getting weaker. On the other hand, people are relying on the ULA to seek justice. It can be said that this is a big change,\u201d Aung Thaung Shwe said.<\/P>
He also said that crime had dropped significantly in rural areas since the AA took over the judiciary.<\/P>
A third former lower house member, Pe Than, estimated that the AA was in control of two-thirds of the state.<\/P>
\u201cIn the past, Myanmar\u2019s military occupied the whole of Rakhine state. It controlled the region with about 80 regiments,\u201d he said. \u201cToday, they have lost much of the territory and some of the regiments have even found it difficult to get out of their bases. The military can no longer operate effectively in the region.\u201d<\/P>
Several residents of the state told RFA that the junta has warned some of the townships not to support the AA or file lawsuits in its courts and to report all AA activities in their areas.<\/P>
But junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said the military has a strong relationship with the AA.<\/P>
\u201cWe have seen many instigations by our enemies to try to get the AA to become involved in fighting. This has created various misunderstandings between the military and the AA at the ground level. I would like to say that we have a strong relationship at both the top and bottom levels,\u201d he said.<\/P>
Meanwhile, the AA\u2019s commander-in-chief, Gen. Tun Myat Naing, said in recent speeches that he was working on a step-by-step approach to reclaiming the lost sovereignty of the Rakhine people so that they can sculpt their own identity.<\/P>
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Copyright \u00a9 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036Radio Free Europe–Copyright (c) 2015. RFE\/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. <\/P>
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An armed ethnic group in Myanmar\u2019s western state of Rakhine has wrested administrative and judicial control from the country\u2019s military junta, which has been in power for almost one year, residents of the state told RFA.The Arakan Army (AA) began as a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n