The Arakan National Council/Arakan Army (ANC/AA) and Arakan Liberation Party/Arakan Liberation Army (ALP/ALA) have rejected recent remarks from the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) spokesman, in which he asserted that there was no need for revolutionary armed forces in Arakan State other than the AA.
The controversial comment from ULA/AA spokesman Khaing Thukha came at an online press conference held by the ethnic armed group on August 11.
“Arakan State cannot have many armed forces,” he said. “There is no need for armed forces other than the Arakan Army, which is supported by the entire Arakanese people. This is also our defence policy. Until December 31, 2015, we tried to organise various groups to ensure that there are no other armed groups in Arakan State, but our attempts were unsuccessful.”
The AA spokesman’s words have been met with backlash from the ANC/AA and ALP/ALA in the days since the press conference.
“That is what they say in their hearts,” said Colonel Min Tun, the chief of the ANC/AA. “If we have to say our opinion, there should be only one national party in Arakan State. It is the principle of every Arakan revolutionary organisation that there should be only one Arakan Army. However, ‘I think that my organisation must survive and his organisation must not survive’ is a mentality that should not exist.”
Lt-Col Khaing Kyaw Soe, the ALP’s information officer, said the ULA/AA’s view that there should be no Arakanese army other than the AA in Arakan State was selfish, and showed weakness in terms of political and revolutionary ideas.
“There are three armed organisations in Arakan State. The ULA/AA’s statement that there should be no armed groups other than the AA in Arakan State is not accepted by the rest of the armed groups. I think that the local political parties and civil society organisations will not accept the AA’s statement,” he added.
Lt-Col Khaing Kyaw Soe said the ALP/ALA, which is an organisation working for the well-being, liberation and peace of the Arakanese people, welcomes consultation and cooperation with any organisation.
The ALP/ALA and ULA/AA have a recent history of strained relations, with both sides detaining the other’s personnel and reciprocal public criticisms aired.
Lieutenant Colonel Khaing Paw Lin, an executive committee member of the ALP, was taken from his home by members of the ULA/AA in the Arakan State capital Sittwe on August 2.
In a statement, the ALP subsequently said that such an arrest undermines Arakan national unity and should never happen among Arakanese resistance groups. The ALP warned that although it had repeatedly put up with AA arrests of ALP members in the past, it would no longer be tolerated.
