More than 17 months since the coup, political instability prevails in Myanmar, and fighting between the military regime and anti-junta resistance forces remains a near-daily occurrence. Prak Sokhonn, ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar, last week visited the country on his second official trip aimed at mediating the increasingly intractable conflict between the military junta and its opponents.

That day, two soldiers came to our shop to buy rope. We sell building materials. One of them was an officer and the other was a private. They left by motorbike after paying. AA members showed up when they arrived some distance from our shop. At that time we didn’t know they were AA members. They tried to seize them. It was followed by a fight. One of them was pushed onto the road in front of the township administration department. Another was pushed into the ditch. 

Veteran politician U Pe Than, who resigned from the senior ranks of the Arakan National Party (ANP) last year, recently talked to DMG about the current political landscape.

Leaders of Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government (NUG) and the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) met for the first time this month, holding a two-hour virtual meeting on May 16.

“Ko Htin Latt Oo, don’t go too far. You have been irritating. I won’t give a shit about peace [if you carry on]. I will come to your place and crush it,” Arakan Army (AA) chief Major-General Twan Mrat Naing warned on Twitter on Friday, addressing the commander of the Myanmar military’s Western Command. 

The Myanmar military regime’s oppression of independent media outlets since its coup on February 1, 2021, is well documented. The junta has raided media agencies’ offices, revoked their licences, and arrested and prosecuted dozens of journalists.

Sunday marked the 13^th anniversary of the founding of the Arakan Army (AA), which was established by 26 young people on April 10, 2009, in Kachin State’s Laiza, the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The Arakan Army now counts thousands of soldiers among its ranks, and has established a strong presence in Arakan State, both militarily and administratively. 

As Myanmar Buddhists prepare to welcome a new year, it is the third consecutive under threat of pandemic and the second consecutive under military rule. Economic circumstances are dire for many, but optimism remains. Prominent Arakanese figures and residents have shared their wishes for Myanmar’s Buddhist New Year with DMG as the country looks ahead to ME 1384.

Last week, the anti-junta National Unity Government (NUG) extended an offer to the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) to hold informal talks, with a focus on how best to go about overthrowing Myanmar’s military regime and establishing a federal democracy.

Daily and prolonged blackouts are severely disrupting lives across Arakan State, which is — residents often note with irony — rich in natural gas and other energy resources. Ordinary citizens and businesses alike are suffering as many are forced to make the difficult choice between going without electricity or paying increasingly expensive costs to run generators at a time of soaring fuel prices.

As the Arakan Army (AA) and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), strive to expand their influence among the diverse peoples of Arakan State, the ULA/AA recently expressed their desire to also build better relations with neighbouring Bangladesh. To that end, the ULA/AA issued a statement marking International Mother Language Day on February 21, calling on the communities either side of the Naf River, which separates the two geographically, to strengthen ties politically, economically, diplomatically and culturally.

With Myanmar’s politics upended by the military coup more than one year ago, anti-regime forces have largely coalesced around the need for a future Myanmar that is based on federalism. However, the exact contours of that system remain the subject of much debate and differing visions. 

All air passengers, including those who are fully vaccinated, are now required to submit a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours of their flight in order to board, the Arakan State Department of Public Health announced last week. DMG has compiled a selection of views on the Covid-19 testing of flight passengers, while other forms of travel remain unrestricted and not subject to any kind of testing requirement. 

Many universities in Myanmar have been closed for almost two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the military coup on February 1, 2021. DMG recently interviewed several students in Arakan State to find out how they have been affected by the extended disruption to their education, and what they have lost.

Junta chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing said last week that his regime would push for implementation of a law requiring all Myanmar citizens to serve in the military. The announcement said enforcement of legislation that was passed more than a decade ago would be a priority of his administration this year. 

February 1, 2022, was the one-year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. Over the past year, hundreds of people have been killed across the country, thousands have been imprisoned for their opposition to the junta, and Myanmar’s economy has been devastated. To mark the occasion, DMG interviewed people from all walks of life in Arakan State, asking them to reflect on the one-year anniversary of the coup. 

Electricity consumers in Arakan State complain of facing regular power outages while at the same time having to pay regular electricity fees. Some of these outages are prolonged, affecting small businesses, local industries and the broader Arakan State economy. DMG asked a cross-section of state residents about the problems caused by frequent electricity disruptions.

The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) announced on January 6 that it would join forces with other Arakanese armed groups and political parties that are working to create a better future for the Arakanese people. Following the ALP statement, DMG compiled a selection of views and opinions from local stakeholders.

Amid the post-coup confusion, DMG interviewed Padoh Saw Taw Nee, head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the most powerful NCA signatories, even as the accord increasingly looks like an historical document of waning relevance.