The United League of Arakan (ULA), which is the political wing of the Arakan Army (AA), stated on Sunday that it is ready for dialogue and committed to protect foreign investment projects in Arakan State.
“The Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government recognizes and welcomes any foreign investment that benefits and supports development in Arakan State. We will provide special protection and security measures for investment operations, projects, and safeguard the personal safety and security of the investors,” stated the ULA/AA on Dec. 29.
The AA claimed that over 700 military personnel were killed, including Colonel Than Soe Win, and that the remaining Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 562 and 563 were seized in Gwa Township of southern Arakan on Dec. 29. No AA casualties were reported.
It took control of the Western Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters in Ann Township on Dec. 20. The Western RMC in Arakan was the second military headquarters in Myanmar’s history to fall to anti-regime forces.
The Northeastern RMC in Lashio, northern Shan State, was seized by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on Aug. 3.
Only three towns in Arakan remain under regime control – since the AA launched its offensive against the military on Nov. 13, 2023 – including the capital Sittwe, the vital port town of Kyaukphyu, and the island of Munaung.
The AA has seized a total of 15 townships, including Ann, Pauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Myebon, Ponnagyun, Ramree, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Thandwe, Taungup, Maungdaw, Gwa, and Paletwa in southern Chinland.
The Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar) stated on Dec. 28 that the AA now has either partial or full control of 10 out of the 11 China-backed projects in Arakan valued at tens of billions of US dollars.
This includes the Kyaukphyu deep sea port and Special Economic Zone, the Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railway project, the Kyaukphyu-Naypyidaw road project, the China-Myanmar oil and natural gas pipeline, as well as trade routes and wind power projects in Ann and Thandwe.
The AA added that it is committed to China-brokered peace talks, alongside the MNDAA and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State, to address security issues along the 1,323 mile (2,129 km) long China-Myanmar border.
The Bangladesh interim government said that it was in touch with both the regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the 2021 military coup, and the AA regarding its 168 mile (271 km) shared border with Myanmar, which is now fully under AA control.
Bangladesh Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury reported that gun and artillery fire can be heard daily along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Security forces, including the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), are attempting to maintain law and order.
Bangladesh hosts 1.2 million Rohingya refugees who’ve fled Myanmar in waves of violence perpetrated by the military, which led to a 2016-17 crackdown when over 700,000 fled their homes to seek sanctuary in Bangladesh. This was labeled a genocide by the U.S. government in 2022.
Chowdhury added that 60,000 recently-arrived Rohingya face a lack of access to health and humanitarian assistance in the Bangladesh refugee camps with many arriving seriously injured during fighting between the AA and pro-regime forces, which now includes Rohingya armed groups.
