Narinjara News, 17 March 2023

The military council has reportedly stored enough food items to last for many years in the battalions inRakhine State, leading military analyststo suggest that the soldiers are preparing for a war.

According to a source close to 1st battalion of the militarycouncil in Maungdaw township, thesoldiers are also storing weapons as well as manpower.

"Food items have been delivered to the battalions every day. The border guard police battalions havealso stocked the items. The stockeditems should be sufficient for nearly two years,” added the source.

During the last four-month-long resurgent battles in Rakhine State, the Arakan Army (AA) blocked supplyroutes from all directions that resultedin shortage of food and ammunition in some military camps.

Even after a temporary cease-fire agreement with the AA on26 November 2022, the localresidents reported that the military council was stockpiling military equipments and food supplies to avoid sucha situation.
A woman from Maungdaw locality said that besides weapons andfood items, the soldiers are alsotransporting recorders and other surveillanceequipments in a dyna car on 14 March to the north of Maungdaw township.

"The white dyna car was full of items like satellites and sound recorders. I don’t know where thosewill be installed. They took those itemsfrom Shwe Zar bridge to Maungdaw," she added.

U U Tun Win, a former Kyauktaw Township Pyithu Hluttawrepresentative, revealedthat this time the soldiers are preparing in a better way.

"We have seen a lot of military activities in the ceasefire period. The situation is worrying for the localpopulation,” he added. During aceasefire, the military personnel usually prepare with
weapons and food items, but this time it is seemingly different from the previous ones.
AA spokesperson U Khing Thu Kha in a recent press conferencestated that the ULA/AA was closelymonitoring the activities of soldiers.

 He issued a stern warning that if the military council failsto keep promises on the ceasefire,another gun fighting may erupt in the regionat any moment.