Mung Sian Kim
In Myanmar’s complex landscape, which includes scores of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and People’s Defense Forces, the Arakan Army (AA) stands out as the one group with a real chance of achieving its goal of autonomy – or even independent nationhood. There are two key reasons why Rakhine State, also known as Arakan, might emerge as Myanmar’s first fully autonomous region, free from both the Myanmar military and foreign interference. The first factor is the unique leadership and unity among the Rakhine people themselves; the second is the state’s geopolitically significant location, which makes it resistant to direct foreign control.
The AA was formed in 2009 by Twan Mrat Naing and 25 young Rakhine nationalists in Kachin State. In just over a decade, the group has grown into one of Myanmar’s most formidable forces. Twan Mrat Naing’s leadership, along with that of Brig. Gen. Nyo Twan Awng, has been instrumental in creating a strong military organization with a clear vision of reviving the “Arakan Nation” through what they call the “Arakan Way.”
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