The Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military have had an informal ceasefire agreement for the last year. As the 2020 elections approached, the two parties agreed to a ceasefire over a mutual aversion for the National League for Democracy (NLD), which had rejected the AA as a terrorist organization. Since the coup, Aljazeera records, “The AA said as early as April that there should be no street protests or activities linked to the Civil Disobedience Movement in the state to avoid distracting from the primary goal of establishing administrative control.” Fighting against the AA for control over Rakhine would spread the military even thinner, and would likely allow other resistance groups to make advances in their states.
While the military has been distracted, the AA has established its own administrative and judicial systems, and has publicly committed to building an inclusive administration with Rohingya people. It now runs two-thirds of Rakhine state. However, because the military and the AA’s goals are completely contradictory to one another — both desiring control over Rakhine state — the ceasefire is not expected to last long, and small skirmishes between the groups warns that a return to the war may not be long in coming.
Prayer Requests
Pray that the Lord would raise up leaders over Rakhine state who truly care for the people, whose hearts desire justice and stability for all those they seek to lead. Pray for protection and against displacement of citizens in Rakhine.
