Arakan Army vows to take ‘full control’ of Rakhine State by 2027

Arakan Army Commander-in-Chief Maj Gen Twan Mrat Naing has said they are expected to secure “final victory” in Rakhine State by 2027.

He made the comments at an event marking the group’s 17th founding anniversary on Friday.

Since late 2023, the Arakan Army has taken control of 14 townships in Rakhine State, along with Paletwa Township in southern Chin State, according to Myanmar Now.

Only Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung of Rakhine State remain under the control of the military authorities.

“We will continue to carry out what needs to be done with complete confidence,” he was quoted as saying by Myanmar Now, adding that the Arakan Army would coordinate with its allies in the fight against Myanmar’s military regime.

The group launched its offensive in Rakhine State on Nov 13, 2023, shortly after the Brotherhood Alliance began Operation 1027 in the northern Shan State, according to Myanmar Now. The group is a member of this alliance.

The Arakan Army has established its own administration, including courts, schools, and healthcare facilities, in the areas it controls.

However, constant air and naval strikes by the junta have forced civilians to be displaced to different parts of the state.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the other two members of the Brotherhood Alliance, sent congratulatory messages to the group on its anniversary, Myanmar Now reported.

The National Unity Government, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, and over 40 armed resistance organisations, including the Chin Brotherhood Alliance, the Bamar People’s Liberation Army, and the Student Armed Force, also sent their congratulations.

Their statements highlighted that the Arakan Army and the Rakhine residents’ progress is backed by persistence, sacrifice, and unity, and stands as a model for other ethnic communities across Myanmar, according to Myanmar Now.

The Arakan Army was established on Apr 10, 2009, in Laiza, a town near the Myanmar-China border that hosts the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army. It reportedly began with just 26 members and a single weapon.