AA rejects junta chief’s proposal for political dialogue

The Arakan Army (AA) has rejected the political dialogue as proposed by the military council chairman senior general Min Aung Hlaing and descried it as a meaningless act, said AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha.

During the Union government meeting on 4 December, the junta chief emphasised on a political dialogue with the armed groups. Min Aung Hlaing opined that if the ethnic armed groups continued their ‘unintelligent’ actions, it would lead to more suffering of the people across the country.

The AA spokesperson responded to the military chief’s statement and argued that since the 1962 coup (in Myanmar) there were many discussions with the successive governments, but nothing happened.

“Taking the history into consideration, I want to ask them what additional assurances the ‘terrorist’ military council can give. Hence, we consider the political dialogues, now advocated by the military council chairman, are devoid of substance,” said Khaing Thukha.

Min Aung Hlaing in the meeting stated his three main national focuses as non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, and perpetuation of national sovereignty. These were pursued with unwavering national conviction and would not be affected by any way.

He also added that any impact on these causes by ethnic armed organizations will be endured solely by the local residents, and if unintelligent actions persist, it will inevitably lead to the suffering for local people.

Finally he threatened that ‘if the armed groups persist in their unintelligent actions, only the local people will suffer the consequences’.

“The 'terrorist' military council troops should not use the term 'people’. Because they do not function as a protective organization for the people. They are always involved in unjust arrests, tortures, killings, abuses, arsons in villages & towns, and also looting of the people's property," asserted Khaing Thukha.

He repeated that the military council is not a political organization but a terrorist outfit. So no political discussion will take place with them, added Khaing Thukha.

"What are they indicating by political discussions ? What methods they will follow here? On what basis, these discussions will be conducted? The 2008 Constitution and NCA are not acceptable to us. Hence any discussion with the basis of such documents will result in nothing,” he added.

A former member of Rakhine State Pyithu Hluttaw commented that due to the defeat of military personnel in various parts of the country, they are talking about political discussions, which will be superficial in nature.