AA Rejects Junta’s Planned Election in Rakhine

Arakan Now | 12 August 2025

The Arakan Army (AA) says it will not recognise or allow the junta’s planned election in areas under its control. Spokesperson Khaing Thukha told reporters on Monday that no Myanmar government election has ever benefited the Rakhine people and that such votes only “confuse the people.”

Since launching Operation 1027 in November 2023, the AA has taken control of 14 of Rakhine State’s 17 townships and Paletwa in Chin State, while pushing to capture Kyaukphyu and surrounding the state capital, Sittwe.

The junta recently rebranded itself as the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) and imposed martial law in 63 townships, including all AA-controlled areas in Rakhine. The AA says the move will not affect its operations or its goal of seizing the remaining townships.

Heavy fighting continues in Kyaukphyu, while the junta carries out artillery strikes in Sittwe, Pauktaw, and Ponnagyun. According to the AA, more than 11,000 buildings in Rakhine have been destroyed by airstrikes and shelling, and over 600,000 people are now displaced. The group has urged the UN and international organisations to provide urgent support to those affected.