The military council troops and the subordinate police forces are collectively joining public awareness programs in rural areas belonging to Kyaukphyu township of Rakhine State urging the locals to avoid engaging with the United League of Arakan (ULA) and its armed wing Arakan Army (AA) during the ceasefire period.

Presently, a group of 30 soldiers and police personnel are roaming around the villages of Zinchaung since February to encourage the villagers to go to the police stations rather than getting involved with the ULA whenever a crime takes place, informed a resident of Wat Taw Pyin Kyee Tway village under Zinchaung district.

"They addressed the villagers in various monasteries and asked them not to contact the ULA. They also provided medical treatments to the villagers and then propagated their ideas,” he added.

The group visited villages like Wat Taw Pyin Kyee Tway, Wat Taw Pyin Kone Bao, A Lal Thit, Kin Pin Le Nar, and Kin Aung Zayya, etc.

Sometimes, they served Mohinga, a traditional cuisine, to the participants. The troops came from the Kyaukphyu-based 34th infantry battalion of the military council.

“The movement of soldiers also scared many villagers as they may detain or arrest more of them,” said a resident of Wat Taw Pyin Kyee Tway.

Another resident assumed that the soldiers and police personnel were campaigning with in an aim to improve their public images.

On the 27 February press conference by ULA/AA leaders, spokesperson U Khaing Thu Kha noted that the Rakhine State, which is presently experiencing a relative peaceful ambience, has been witnessing the evil design of military rulers in various townships like Taungup and Thandwe where thy termed ULA/AA as illegal entities.

He issued a stern warning that if the military council does not stop its propaganda against ULA/AA, the conflict may erupt once again in the region.

“If the Myanmar army does not desist from such actions, and the situation deteriorates further, it could potentially escalate into armed conflict at any given moment,” he stated.

The military government and AA leaders ceased the hostilities, but in 2022 the armed conflicts erupted again leading to intense gunfightings at least for four months.

Later Yohei Sasakawa, the Japanese government’s special representative, on 26 November reached both parties for an informal ceasefire agreement.

However, the military council continues harassing the Rakhine people in various forms. Moreover, the locals alleged that additional deployment of troops and ammunition also seen in Rakhine State in recent days.