Sub-title:
Refocussing Rakhine Nationalism
Description:
"Many observers have characterised the
recent events in Rakhine State in which the
Arakan Army attacked Myanmar Police
Posts as a further extension of ongoing ethnic
armed conflicts in Myanmar. However, the
underlying objectives of the Arakan Army do
not correlate with the objectives of most other
armed ethnic organisations that have been
fighting for equality over the last sixty years.
Rather, the Arakan Army’s creation and its
later political position does not just seek
equality and federalism but rather an
autonomous Rakhine State.1 This is in itself
should also be seen in the context of
connections between Rakhine nationalism
and the possible involvement of the Arakan
Army/United League of Arakan (AA/ULA) in
furthering that nationalist agenda.
As AA/ULA Commander-in-Chief Major
General Twan Mrat Naing notes,
We prefer [a confederation of states]
like Wa State, which has a larger
share of power in line with the
Constitution,
adding that,
. . . a confederation is “better” than
federalism. . . And we think it [a
confederation] is more appropriate to
the history of Rakhine State and the
hopes of the Arakanese people,2
He also continued,
In a confederation, we have the
authority to make decisions on our
own. But there would be a common
defence system. And there would be
cooperation on market regulation
and foreign affairs. To have control over our own destiny—selfdetermination—is the aspiration of
every ethnic group. We can try,3
It remains unlikely the AA will ever see it
objectives realised, seventy years of ethnic
conflict suggests that the Myanmar Army, is
unlikely to allow it to achieve any form of
confederation. Instead the conflict is likely to
continue and put further burden on an
already over burdened populace. An issue the
AA is acutely aware of the AA’s deputy chief,
Brigadier General Dr. Nyo Twan Aung in a
video message told ordinary Arakanese that
if the current fighting in northern Rakhine
State continues to worsen, it could spread to
other places in the state.
4 In the same
address he gave advice to residents in
relation to an authorisation by the Rakhine
State government giving permission to state
police and military to carry out household
checks in seven townships of northern
Rakhine State, in an attempt to find..."
Source/publisher:
Euro Burma Office
Date of Publication:
2019-04-00
Date of entry:
2021-04-11
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Countries:
Myanmar
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
150.74 KB
Resource Type:
text
Text quality:
- Good