CNI News

19 June 2024

The Arakan Army (AA)'s warning the residents of Maungdaw to leave the town has solved the Bengali issue, U Kyi Myint, a Myanmar political commentator, told CNI News. 

The AA announced that it has surrounded and blocked all the military camps of the Myanmar Tatmadaw in Maungdaw and around and because it was worried about the lives of residents of Maungdaw, it warned them to leave the town starting from 9:00 p.m. on 16th June, 2024 as soon as possible.

"The AA warned Rohingya people, most of the people living in Maungdaw to prove that it wouldn't unjustly act. There are complexities there. There are the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Arakan Rohingya Students Union ARSU) and another one in Rakhine State. One of them got on well with the AA. But that organization is no more. Rohingya groups want to get weapons. So, they cooperate with or join the Tatmadaw temporarily. Rohingya people from the refugee camps in Bangladesh are gathered and sent to Myanmar and asked to get weapons, which the AA doesn't accept it at all. So, it made a decision to fight against decisively. When it fight, it warned Rohingya people to leave the town so that 195 international organizations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) don't put blame on the AA." he said.

While seeing the statement released by the AA

The Myanmar Tatmadaw has made preparations for quite a long time to use Maungdaw Town as military camps to wage an urban warfare. 

As all the remaining camps of the Tatmadaw would be attacked, it warned, said in the statement released by the AA on 16th June, 2024. 

Maungdaw, a Myanmar - Bangladesh border town, is very important to bilateral relations and trade, U Myo Kyaw, spokesperson of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), told CNI News.

While seeing the entrance to Maungdaw Town

" It is a Rakhine State's border town with Bangladesh as well as the western gate of Myanmar. If we trade with Bangladesh, Maungdaw is essential. It is very important to bilateral relations and trade." he said.

The Bengali issue has arisen in northern Rakhine State since early this year. After the AA captured Buthidaung Town on 18th May 2024, it was criticized by western countries and civil society organizations in relation to the Bengali issue.

At present, the AA has already captured Pauktaw, Minbya, Kyauktaw, Mrauk U, Myebon, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Ranbye and Buthidaung.