AA pledges to address theft, robbery and other crimes via its nascent parallel justice system

By DMG 05 Oct 2021

DMG Newsroom
5 October 2021, Sittwe 

If people file complaints to the Arakan Army (AA) about theft, robbery and dacoity occurring in Arakan State, the ethnic armed group and its United League of Arakan (ULA) political wing will seek to bring them justice, AA information officer U Khaing Thukha told DMG. 

“We will do our best to bring justice for the people if they lodge complaints about theft and robbery,” he said. 

The number of theft and robbery cases in Arakan State has increased amid the Covid-19 crisis. 

U Khaing Kaung San, director of the Wan Lark Rural Development Foundation in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, said rising criminal cases were due to a lack of rule of law and having what amounts to two governments in Arakan State after the February 1 coup. 

“The situation in Sittwe is one of being under two administrations; one is the government and the other is the AA, which has been predominant in imposing regulations in Sittwe during the spread of Covid-19. So, thieves are taking a good chance [to exploit] this situation of having two governments,” he said. 

In early August, the ULA announced plans to establish a judiciary parallel to the existing legal system in Arakan State, saying the state’s people could file complaints to seek another path to justice in legal cases including theft and land disputes.