Arakan Army vows to protect the foreign investments in Arakan

GAN/Arakan (Rakhine State)                                          March 26, 2024

AA soldiers in Liza (Photocredit)

The mighty Arakan Army (AA), the armed wing of the United League of Arakan (ULA) said that they will protect the foreign investment project operations and security of the personnel working in the project areas, according to their statement on March 25, 2024. The AA was established on April 10, 2009, and it now has more than 30,000 well-trained and armed soldiers.

The group resumed its armed fighting on November 13, last year (2023) and now has also controlled nine big towns such as Paletwa, Pauktaw, Minbya, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Myebone, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, and Rambree in addition to several small towns in the region of Arakan. The armed fighting of the AA against the junta military (also known as the SAC military) continues in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Ann, Taunggoke, etc.

The same statement also mentioned that the AA is going to fight against all individuals and groups collaborating with the junta forces in Arakan, hinting at several Bengali Muslim (self-proclaimed Rohingya) individuals who participated in the military conscription program initiated by the junta in recent months. In addition, it highlights the ULA’s position of accepting the ‘only one-armed organization in Arakan’, which is the AA.

Road construction for the Kaladan project (Photocredit)

Rakhine state (also known as Arakan) is well-known for its strategic geo-location and multi-billion-dollar investments by the great power: China and multi-million-dollar investments by the regional power: India. Beijing government has been regulating oil and gas pipelines from Kyaukphyu to Kunming in addition to the newly implemented ‘Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone’ (KPSEZ) including Deep Seaports. On the other hand, the New Delhi government has also been trying to complete the ‘Kaladan project’ that aims to connect the Kolkata city in West Bengal to the Northeast States in India via Sittwe seaports in Rakhine state.

Locals near China's investments in Kyaukphyu (Photocredit)

Before, the ULA/AA had publicly pledged that they were ready to welcome all foreign investments beneficial to the local population, a position restated by the current statement.