Major General Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson of the Junta, confessed that regime troops had indeed looted the World Food Programme (WFP) food warehouse in Maungdaw town, Rakhine State, grabbing 2,000 bags of rice.

"We found out that these bags of rice were intended to support refugees in Maungdaw, so on June 22, the security forces distributed one bag to each of more than 2000 households in wards No. 1, 2, 3, 4, as well as Kanyintan, and Maungni wards”, he said.

WFP issued an announcement on June 25 strongly condemning the looting and burning of its warehouse, where a total of 1,175 metric tons of food aid is stored.

Major General Zaw Min Tun officially confessed through Junta-controlled newspapers on June 27, that the Junta soldiers had looted WFP warehouse, an aid agency of the United Nations (UN).

Major General Zaw Min Tun did not clarify whether the Junta forces had obtained permission from the WFP in Myanmar before taking 2,000 bags of rice.

On June 22, the regime forces distributed the bags of rice to Muslim residents in Maungdaw, seeking to gain their support for the Junta, a Muslim resident told Narinjara.

Junta-controlled newspapers reported that  these rice bags were distributed to a total of 2019 households in Maungdaw town, comprising 190 households in Ward No. 1, 613 households in Ward No. 2, 104 households in Ward No. 3, 187 households in Ward No. 4, 606 households in Kanyintan, and 319 households in Maungni.

Major General Zaw Min Tun also stated that, since June 21, the Junta troops began relocating warehouse items to nearby safe sites to prevent them from being seized by the Arakha Army (AA). He further accused that on June 22, AA conducted drone surveillance and bombed that WFP warehouse.

"The Junta, as the most responsible authorized organization in Rakhine State, did not inform WFP in Yangon beforehand about the looting of these rice bags as required by law, nor did it notify WFP afterward. WFP's statement also did not mention any such notification. Taking materials from an international organization without permission and distributing them arbitrarily, is unacceptable and constitutes an act of violence”, a Rakhine politician said.

According to a statement released by AA along with a recorded video footage, around 5:00 pm on June 21, the Junta troops and armed Muslims trained by them allegedly collaborated to set fire to WFP warehouse and several nearby houses in Waitharli village, Maungdaw township.

AA's statement also indicated that packages believed to contain cement were taken to the district rural office for the preparation of defensive fortifications.

Major General Zaw Min Tun's confession only came after AA released its statement along with the video evidence.