Ideology Rakhine nationalism | Strength 1,500–2,000+ | |
Active 10 April 2009 (2009-04-10)–present Leaders Twan Mrat Naing
Nyo Twan Awng Headquarters Laiza, Kachin State (temporary) Area of operations Kachin State,
Rakhine State,
Shan State,
Myanmar-Bangladesh border | ||
The Arakan Army (Burmese: ရက္ခိုင့်တပ်မတော်; abbreviated AA) is a Rakhine insurgent group in Myanmar (Burma), founded on 10 April 2009. The group is currently led by its commander in chief, Twan Mrat Naing. The purpose of the AA, as stated by its second-in-command Nyo Twan Awng, is to "protect our Arakan people, and to establish peace, justice, freedom and development."
The AA is a participant in the Kachin conflict, fighting alongside the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) against the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces). Most AA soldiers were originally trained at the KIA Military Academy; however, the AA has additional training camps in Rakhine State. According to the Myanmar Peace Monitor, the AA had more than 1,500 troops in 2014, including personnel stationed in the Rakhine State near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh. The Irrawaddy has stated that, as of September 2015, the AA has 2,500 troops and 10,000 supporters.
History
The Arakan Army (AA) was founded on 10 April 2009 in what it describes as its "temporary headquarters" in Laiza, Kachin State. The group advocates for:
Following training, the group had planned to return to Arakan State and fight for self-determination; however, with the outbreak of fighting in Kachin State in June 2011, they were unable to return. As a result, they took up arms against the Myanmar Army in support of the KIA. In 2014, the AA started a settlement in Rakhine State (home land) near the border with Bangladesh and another near the border of Thai-Myanmar with which it has become much stronger and its combat abilities have been positively impacted.
In February 2015, AA fought alongside the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), an ethnic armed group, and its ally the Taang National Libration Army (TNLA) in their conflict with the Myanmar Army. Hundreds of armed men from the Myanmar troops were reportedly killed in this conflict.
In April 2015, the AA clashed with the Burmese Army in areas of Kyauktaw and Paletwa townships in the northern Rakkhaing state. On 27 August 2015, there was a clash between the AA and the Bangladesh border guard forces, with both sides opening fire near the Boro Modak area of Thanci in the Bandaran district, near the shared Burma-Bangladesh border.
In December 2015, Several days of fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army was beginning, around 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of Sittwe at the border between Kyauktaw and Mrauk U townships, left an unknown number of military personnel dead. Several Tatmadaw personnel, including one commanding officer, were killed in sniper attacks. Many others were injured