The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), under the leadership ofKhaing Ray Khaing, has made an announcement stating that they have halted allprocesses related to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

They expressedtheir belief that the goals of ethnic self-determination and the establishmentof a democratic state will not be realized through these processes.

This announcement was made in a statement dated September 1,titled "Statement of the Arakan Liberation Party Regarding the NationwideCeasefire Agreement (NCA)."

In the statement, it was stated, "We hold the belief thatthe NCA process will not fulfill the aspirations for self-determination by theethnic groups, nor will it bring about the conclusion of the civil conflict orthe establishment of a peaceful and prosperous federal democratic state, asdesired by the entire population of Myanmar."

"After the 2021 coup, all of the NCA's processes werehalted. The military coup led to widespread protests and the emergence ofnumerous armed PDFs engaged in conflict. Consequently, relying solely on theNCA is insufficient to bring about peace throughout Myanmar. From the ALP'sperspective, the NCA processes have come to a complete standstill. If wecontinue along this path, there will be no progress in the entire country, andpeace will remain elusive. I want to stress this point unequivocally," ALPGeneral Secretary Khaing Kyaw Khaing emphasized in a statement to Narinjara.

Hence, the ALP is collaborating with allied revolutionaryforces, fostering national unity alongside revolutionary and political entitieswithin Rakhine State, and persistently advancing towards the goal of anunfinished armed revolution to determine its own destiny, the statement said.

The statement also emphasizes that Saw Mra Razar Lin, who hasseparated from the ALP and engaged in discussions with the Military Council, isentirely unrelated to the ALP.

Regarding the issue, Khaing Kyaw Khaing stated, "The ALPis one of the five groups that engaged in discussions with the MilitaryCouncil. What I want the public to understand clearly about this matter is thatthe ALP, as an organization, is not involved in these discussions. Followingthe coup d'état, the NCA process has already come to a halt. Therefore, theengagement with the Military Council under the banner of the ALP is beingcarried out by Saw Mra Razar Lin's faction, which has separated from our organization.We want to clarify to the people of Rakhine and the revolutionary allied groupsthat the discussions between Saw Mra Razar Lin's group and the Military Councilhave absolutely no connection with our group."

The ALP's statement stated that the outcomes agreed uponthrough the NCA processes indicate that achieving the desiredself-determination rights of ethnic groups beyond the 2008 constitution draftedby the Myanmar military is unattainable.

"As long as the military maintains its grip on thepolitics of Myanmar, there is no possibility of achieving the genuine federalunion that our ethnic groups and the people of Myanmar require. Therefore, theALP is committed to joining forces with ethnic groups striving for an end tomilitary dictatorship, the PDF, and other allied forces working towards theoverthrow of the military regime," reiterated General Secretary KhaingKyaw Khaing.

Furthermore, the ALP said that following the military coup inearly 2021, nearly all essence and progress related to the NCA have beenhalted, leading to a loss of Myanmar's prospects for peace.

"In the current political and military circumstances inMyanmar, I want to assure the people that the ALP will persist in its strugglefor the liberation of Rakhine State. We are dedicated to forging national unitywith Rakhine political entities and revolutionary forces, with the ultimategoal of empowering Rakhine to shape its own future," Khaing Kyaw Khaingreiterated.

Due to the military coup, nationwide protests and armeduprisings ensued, leading to the emergence of new revolutionary forces such asthe People's Defense Forces (PDF), the CRPH, NUG, and NUCC.

The statement highlights that Northern Alliance armedresistance organizations, which include NCA signatories like KNU and CNF, aswell as non-NCA signatories like KNPP and KIO, have seized substantialterritories. They have united with the NUG and PDF in their collective effortto dismantle the military dictatorship and establish a federal democracy.

As a result of its violent arrests, torture, and killings ofcivilians, the Military Council is confronting both political and economicsanctions, as well as international non-recognition.

The ALP's statement points to General Zaw Min Tun's statementsduring the Military Council's press conference on August 22 as evidence thatthe Military Council is attempting to shift blame onto the revolutionaryparties and the entire population as a means of navigating the broad political,military, and economic crisis brought about by the coup. Furthermore, thestatement highlights that the Military Council is actively engaged inrepressive killings and a political offensive with the aim of undermining unity.

Following the military coup, leaders within the ALP becamedivided into two factions as a result of differing positions and opinions.

Currently, the ALP party is divided into two factions: one ledby party chairman Khaing Ray Khaing and the other by Saw Mra Razar Lin. KhaingRay Khaing's faction continues to actively oppose the coup Military Councilalongside their allies, while Saw Mra Razar Lin's group is engaged in talkswith the Military Council through the NCA pathway.