Led by Saw Mra Razar Lin, Army for Liberation and Peace of Rakhine (ALPR) Force was formed in Sittwe.
The name was revealed by the leader, Saw Mra Razar Lin, on the third anniversary of the force. A video of her statement was released on social media on April 23.
The third anniversary of the Army for Liberation and Peace of Rakhine (ALPR) was commemorated in Sittwe on March 20.
The leader of the force, Saw Mra Razar Lin, was formerly part of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) but later split from the group. In the beginning, she and her faction claimed full ownership of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and announced that their force was the legitimate ALP.
Saw Mra Razar Lin stated: “The original name of the armed force, ALA Arakan Liberation Army was used since the founding of the party. However, after I took over responsibility, the name was changed to ALPR Army for Liberation and Peace of Rakhine. I would like to officially announce this change to all comrades here. ALPR-labeled badges have already arrived in the hands of our comrades. We have aligned the party name and the Tatmyattaw’s name accordingly, and I want to specially urge all party leaders, military leaders, members, and comrades to work with unity and commitment for the progress and development of our party.”
The Army for Liberation and Peace of Rakhine, led by Saw Mra Razar Lin, is reportedly collaborating with the military junta to arrest, kill, and forcibly conscript civilians in Sittwe, according to local residents.
Because of this, the people of Arakan say they do not trust or support the group. They also believe that such a group has no place in the Arakan region.
A local Kaman ethnic resident from Sittwe told Border News Agency, “By siding with the dictatorship, the ALP is oppressing the Rakhine people. They are also undermining the Arakan Army (AA), which is striving to fulfill the Arakan Dream. Because of these unacceptable actions, the ALP has no place in Rakhine State.”
The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) was founded on April 9, 1967. It signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government on April 5, 2012, and later became a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on October 15, 2015.
The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) later split into three factions: one based along the India border led by Khine Ray Khine, another along the Thailand border led by Khine Soe Naing Aung, and a third faction based in Sittwe led by Saw Mra Razar Lin.
