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#### As conflict drags on, women in Myanmar’s Rakhine State place their hopes in the Arakan Army

(Photo/Moe Myint>

One night in early April, Soe Sandar lifted her two daughters into a small rowboat, holding them close as her husband pulled the oars through the still water. Their ears ringing from the artillery explosions of just hours before, they were careful not to leave a trace as they disappeared into the darkness. Read more

#### Related Articles

Arakan Army extends administrative grip on Rakhine State

by Kyaw Hsan Hlaing

The Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan, have unveiled a political dispute mechanism and plans for a judiciary in Rakhine State as part of their moves to “bring justice to all people living in Rakhine.” Read more

In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, trust in armed group grows as election hopes fade

by Kyaw Hsan Hlaing and Emily Fishbein

Many Arakanese in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were optimistic in the lead-up to the country's first openly contested elections in a quarter of a century, in 2015. There’s a stark difference five years on, as 8 November polls are clouded by an escalating civil war and voting cancellations across most of the state. Read more

## News

Previous Articles

Illustration by Thura Kyaw

### “Like Ants Fighting Elephants”: Student Activists in Myanmar Speak Out

###### November, 30, 2020

Despite dozens of arrests this year, a small group of student activists are determined to raise their voices on behalf of civilians in Rakhine State who have been affected by armed conflict, and largely silenced by internet and media restrictions. Read more

Illustration by Thura Kyaw

### In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, trust in armed group grows as election hopes fade

###### October, 18, 2020

Many Arakanese in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were optimistic in the lead-up to the country's first openly contested elections in a quarter of a century, in 2015. There’s a stark difference five years on, as 8 November polls are clouded by an escalating civil war and voting cancellations across most of the state. Read more

Myanmar's military stand guard at a checkpoint manned with an armored vehicle in a road leading to the parliament building Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. AP-

### Myanmar’s Military Didn’t Just Overthrow Aung San Suu Kyi's Government. It’s Cracking Down on All Forms of Dissent

###### February, 2, 2021

After Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 15 years of house arrest in 2010, young activists pushed to expand freedom of expression and fought to improve civil rights and the rule of law, hoping to move the country on from the decades of censorship and arbitrary detention enforced by the military. Now, they fear what comes next. Read more

In response to COVID-19 third-wave, a group of medical officers from the Arakan Army did healthcare at Arkataung village’s school in Rathedaung township on 19 May 2021. (Supplied)

### Arakan Army extends administrative grip on Rakhine State

###### August, 6, 2021

The United League of Arakan is advancing steadily towards its objective of assuming administrative control in Rakhine State, and has seen a high level of compliance from the state’s residents with the stay-at-home order it issued on July 20 in response to the third wave of COVID-19. Since the coup, the ULA and its armed wing, the Arakan Army, have accelerated their effort to expand their ability to govern the state and be seen as its legitimate governing body.Read more

- Internally displaced persons (IDPs) cook at a camp in Rakhine State last week. With social distancing nearly impossible, IDPs are at risk of contracting the coronavirus [Supplied/Al Jazeera]

### “Rakhine: Where the military is more feared than the coronavirus"

###### Date

Yangon, Myanmar – On the night of September 3, Thar Hla* was restless, and it was not just because he was sharing a concrete floor with approximately 70 people. “After hearing loud firing, I felt like the quarantine centre wasn’t safe,” the 32-year-old told Al Jazeera by phone from his hometown in Kyauktaw in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State. “That night, no one could sleep.”Read more

Previous News

###### Arakan Army extends administrative grip on Rakhine State

The United League of Arakan is advancing steadily towards its objective of assuming administrative control in Rakhine State, and has seen a high level of compliance from the state’s residents with the stay-at-home order it issued on July 20 in response to the third wave of COVID-19. Since the coup, the ULA and its armed wing, the Arakan Army, have accelerated their effort to expand their ability to govern the state and be seen as its legitimate governing body. Read more

###### In Myanmar’s Rakhine, families of the disappeared seek answers

One evening, as Ma Nway* and her family were having dinner, soldiers from Myanmar’s armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, came to her house and asked for her husband. According to her account, they blindfolded him, took out their guns and beat him in front of her. Read more

###### In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, trust in armed group grows as election hopes fade

Many Arakanese in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were optimistic in the lead-up to the country's first openly contested elections in a quarter of a century, in 2015. There’s a stark difference five years on, as 8 November polls are clouded by an escalating civil war and voting cancellations across most of the state Read more

###### Vote cancellations trigger outrage among Myanmar minority voters

More than 1.5 million people in Myanmar’s conflict-ridden areas have been politically disenfranchised after the country’s election commission scrapped voting in those areas in next month’s general election, deepening concerns about the credibility of the country’s first poll since Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in 2015. Read more

###### Rakhine: Where the military is more feared than the coronavirus

Yangon, Myanmar – On the night of September 3, Thar Hla* was restless, and it was not just because he was sharing a concrete floor with approximately 70 people. “After hearing loud firing, I felt like the quarantine centre wasn’t safe,” the 32-year-old told Al Jazeera by phone from his hometown in Kyauktaw in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State. “That night, no one could sleep.” Read more

###### To Fight the Coronavirus, Myanmar Needs a Cease-Fire in Rakhine

YANGON, Myanmar—On Aug. 16, Myanmar’s health ministry announced the country’s first locally transmitted COVID-19 case in a month in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state. By Sept. 1, the number of confirmed cases across the state had risen to 393, while as of Sept. 3, the whole country has recorded 1,111 cases since the coronavirus pandemic began. Read more