According to his testimony, he has transported rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), RPG warheads, TNT dynamites and mines around 30 times either in his own car or by long-distance express buses from the Myanmar-Thai border to Rakhine State’s capital Sittwe via Yangon. By Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint 10 December 2019 . It’s our nation’s right to live in freedom, democracy and a good decent life. The new operation followed a government instruction to ‘crush’ the AA. The Tatmadaw cited threats of attacks by ARSA as their reason for excluding Rakhine State from the ceasefire. Established on April 10, 2009 Arakan Army led by Arakan’s younger generations, has become one of the most credibility army forces in Burma fighting for self-determination, national equality, justice and freedom. Contact Us. He bought arms and ammunition with the money allotted by the AA. The AA pays transportation costs for those wishing to join the armed group but cannot afford to travel to Kachin State’s Laiza where they undergo military training. Thirteen police were killed in the attack during which the AA abducted 18 police and their family members who they later released. AA chief Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing would be one of the persons who will shape the future of Rakhine State, according to Dr Aye Maung. The AA dismissed claims of their connections to the drug trade and accused the government of deliberately attempting to defame it. This week, we’ll discuss the Arakan Army (AA)’s attacks on four border police outposts in northern Rakhine State on Jan. 4, Myanmar’s Independence Day, and their impact on politics and the peace process of the country. Tatmadaw spokespersons have said they would not hold peace talks with the AA as it launched attacks since 2015 after the country had a democratically elected government. “I want to tell AA supporters to think about whether the AA really can make Rakhine State better. AA leaders could not start their revolution in Rakhine State, but have been planning to return to their homeland since 2014. How has the AA funded a standing army of some 7,000 troops and managed to conduct military operations just a few years after its formation in spite of having no areas in its control? While it’s true that a portion of the AA’s funding is likely to be provided by their Arakanese supporters, Myanmar’s government and military have accused the AA of smuggling drugs to fund its army. Editorial. Htun Myat Naing's AA is the biggest supplier of Meth to Bangladesh. The case in which Lt-Col Aung Myat Kyaw was arrested in Yangon in February 2016 supports the accusation of the government and Tatmadaw. Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. The UWSA, the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) have always denied their own involvement in the drug trade despite the fact that large amounts of drugs are produced in their regions. ... injure 9 in predawn raids amid intensified fighting with government forces. 4 Jan 2019. The Arakan Army, one of Myanmar’s ... 2019. ️Hundreds of young army recruits train to fight in the Arakan Army in training camps in Myanmar's Kachin state, on the border with China. Why is the AA popular among the Arakanese? According to the video clip, the AA also has Barrett MRAD sniper rifles which have a unit price of over $10,000 on the black market at the Thailand-Myanmar border. With a long list of grievances and broad popular support, the Arakan Army took the opportunity of Myanmar’s national day on Jan. 4 to launch a major new offensive. News. The conflict plays out as Myanmar comes under growing pressure from the international community regarding the exodus of Rohingya from northern Rakhine State into Bangladesh following brutal military clearance operations spurred by serial attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on a number of police outposts in August 2017. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. / The Irrawaddy, Copyright © 2016 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. The sniper rifle is commonly used by the border guard forces of Israel and armed forces in Norway and the Netherlands. They were standing firm against our enemies and those who sought to destroy our way of life and crushed our ideals as well as our heritages. 2019 internet shutdown On 21 ... the Arakan Army. Please increase the size of your window. YANGON—A tactical frontline base of the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) was raided and no less than 30 soldiers were killed by Arakan Army (AA) rebels in rural Mrauk-U Township, in northern Rakhine State, at dawn on Wednesday, Arakan Army spokesperson U Khine Thukha told The Irrawaddy. Leaders of some of the ethnic allies of the AA also denied accusations that the AA is involved in drug dealing. A graduate of the first batch of AA military training and also a close aide of Maj-Gen Twan Mrat Naing, the court heard that he was responsible for the procurement and logistics of arms and ammunition for the AA in preparation for their staging of a revolution in Rakhine. Arakan.News is a citizen based informational center and service that focuses on conflicts, wars, human rights, ... 7 November 2019. April 30, 2019. After the Tatmadaw launched air strikes on the AA’s footholds in Chin State’s Paletwa in 2017, some rich Arakanese gave money to the AA to help them buy anti-aircraft missiles, the AA’s Chief Maj-Gen Twan Mrat Naing once told The Irrawaddy. 7 januari 2019 Leestijd 1 minuut Aung San Suu ... begin december vinden in de staat Rakhine met regelmaat gevechten plaats tussen het Myanmarese leger en het zogenoemde Arakan Army. For years, Arakanese people have migrated to find employment opportunities and escape the ailing economy of Rakhine State. YANGON—More than nine years after it was formed by 26 Arakanese (Rakhine) youths, the Arakan Army (AA) today is a 7000-member strong army which is gaining progress in its bid to establish a stronghold in its homeland, Rakhine State. He was also charged for money laundering as he was found to have bought land along the Yangon-Sittwe Highway and saved over 40 million kyats at banks. Analysts suggest that the AA might also purchase weapons from Kuki rebels on the Myanmar-India border. A case has been filed, on nine students who organised the protest, under section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law, ... Arakan Internet Journal; Arakanese News/Information. As well as the ordinary Arakanese people, most Arakanese politicians accept the AA too. Throughout history, the brave Arakanese heroes have served our ancestral land and with selfless dedication and greater determination. The 2017 report compiled by the Kofi Annan-led Rakhine State Advisory Commission states that the AA is linked with drug dealers. Although the government has invited the AA to join peace talks, the Tatmadaw repeatedly refused to hold talks with them between 2015 and 2017, on the grounds that the armed group was established after the 2008 Constitution was adopted, while most other ethnic armed groups were born at the time of independence. ... As a relatively new group, the Arakan Army wasn't included in the national ceasefire negotiations that took place from 2011 to 2016, says Connelly. POW. We the Arakan Army decisively hold the vision on uniting path of freedom and–we will pay price for the best of tomorrows. Our greatest responsibility today is to prove our courage of unity refusing to live under the brutal and repressive dictatorship that had been destroyed lives and resources of our land. The ethnic group denied their claim, saying that it never uses M-16 assault rifles. Villagers returning to displacement camps. By Moe Myint 28 August 2019 . The AA also helps with living and health expenses of the troop’s family members and is even said to finance members who drop out in order to continue their education. Since 1962, the Arakanese people have had few strong representational organizations. The M60s are seen in a video commemorating the 9th anniversary of the AA’s formation which circulated on social media in April 2018. ... Suu Kyi hit with two new criminal charges. On 4 January 2019 – Myanmar’s Independence Day – an ethnic Rakhine armed group known as the Arakan Army carried out coordinated attacks on four police posts in northern Rakhine State, reportedlykilling 13 police officers. Essence of Arakan Army Formation: ... Lastly, Bo Razar, commander of Arakan Army, was shot and killed by India army in Adman sea along with his Karen colleagues in … Arakan Army rebel group says three military helicopters attacked three boats carrying ... News Agencies. Sep 11, 2019, 10:24 AM IST Threat looming on Kaladan project, emergency … It appears that the ethnic armed group has been realizing this dream. Myanmar Army Says it Rescued 15 Abductees From Arakan Army Custody October 28, 2019 myanmarnewsgazette.com Myanmar’s military staged a dramatic helicopter attack and rescue on Arakan Army (AA) motorboats that were carrying 58 passengers abducted from a large passenger boat in strife-torn Rakhine state over the weekend, freeing 14 passengers, government and army spokesmen said. All Rights Reserved. / The Irrawaddy, The Arakan Army’s military training school is located close to Nan Sam Ran Creek near Laiza in Kachin State. ARAKAN ARMY. By The Irrawaddy 12 January 2019 . The Arakan Army has set up several camps in areas across Mizoram's Lawngtala district, posing threat to the Kaladan Project. Thousands of anti-aircraft machine-gun bullets, AK47 bullets, shells, and TNT dynamite were seized from a house in Yangon’s Hlaingtharyar Township in a follow-up search. The life of each and every one of them is precious to our nation. Many Arakanese who are working abroad contribute at least a few thousand kyats monthly to the AA. Arakan Army: Meth Insurgents Starting New Rakhine War (Anthony Davis’s article from The ASIA TIMES on 05 February 2019.) Frankly speaking, please stop your support,” he said. Interviews. The suspects said they traded approximately 4.4 million methamphetamine pills between December 2016 and November 2017, and confessed to buying M-16 assault rifles, pistols and several magazines and rounds to supply the AA. No one should be denied the right to determine their own destiny, to be free of oppression—because freedom of expression is universal aspiration of humanity. Prominent Arakanese political figure Dr Aye Maung, who is currently facing trial for high treason, told The Irrawaddy in 2016 that he supports the AA. The Arakan Army is a Rakhine armed group in Myanmar based on Kachin State, founded on 10 April 2009. Their cause is, like other ethnic armed groups, self-determination and greater autonomy. four persons suspected of killing former Mrauk-U Township administrator U Bo Bo Min Theik. He was charged under the arms act and narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances law and sentenced ten years to prison. And each life given in the name of liberty is a life that has not been lost in vain but in honor the good souls whose memories are a blessing to path of our liberation. By Moe Myint 4 June 2019 . Myanmar's Anti-Terrorism Central Committee designates Arakan Army as a terrorist group under the country's counter-terrorism law. The government’s counter-terrorist rhetoric against the Arakan Army is entering dangerous new territory. In early 2015, AA troops marched over land from Kachin State’s Laiza to Chin State’s Paletwa Township near the Myanmar-India border, leading to clashes with the Myanmar Army. The only armed group to be publicly and officially designated a terrorist organization under the 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law is ARSA. Aizawl: Tension prevailed in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district after Indian troops have allegedly rounded up and gathered villagers in remote areas bordering Myanmar in the wake of reported clashes between Myanmar Army and Rakhine based militant group Arakan Army (AA). Arakan Army kills 13 policemen, injure 9 in predawn raids amid intensified fighting with government forces. These photos, taken in 2014, depict the life of Arakanese soldiers at the military training school. 05. According to U Zaw Htay, the government and Tatmadaw believe the AA mainly gets its funds from drug smuggling, an accusation which AA information officer Khine Thu Kha denied. The AA obtains arms and ammunition from its mentor the KIA and its ally the United Wa State Army (UWSA). Lives of great Arakanese heroes who once glorified our ancestral land remind us that we can make our lives sublime and meaningful departing behind us footprints on the sands of time. Others estimate their strength at around 2,500 fighters. YANGON—More than nine years after it was formed by 26 Arakanese (Rakhine) youths, the Arakan Army (AA) today is a 7000-member strong army which is gaining progress in its bid to establish a stronghold in its homeland, Rakhine State. The AA’s information officer Khine Thu Kha later said that if the Tatmadaw has genuine willingness, it could also announce a ceasefire where military tensions are running high with the AA and at the same time exclude areas where ARSA is active.