The Arakan Army (AA) has revealed that it had an online meeting with military representatives last week to discuss holding by-elections in areas of Rakhine state where voting was cancelled during last month’s election.
The two sides also discussed potential peace process negotiations during the 30-minute meeting on November 25 and are now planning an in-person meeting, the AA said in a statement on Wednesday.
There have been no clashes between the two groups in Rakhine state since around polling day on November 8, a rare lull in a conflict that has killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands over the past two years.
“To build trust right now, it’s been over twenty days since there were clashes between the two groups,” said Khaing Thukha, the AA’s spokesperson. “We have to maintain this momentum and negotiate to have a meeting in person.”
San Kyaw Hla, speaker of the Rakhine state parliament and a strategic advisor for the Arakan National Party, was optimistic about the talks. “This is good news,” he said.
“The military and the AA are starting to reach an understanding and have been communicating,” he added.
During the meeting the two sides also discussed getting rations to areas suffering shortages of basic necessities because of the fighting, as well as how to build mutual trust.
But despite the informal ceasefire, the military announced on December 1 that it would continue to officially exclude the AA from a nationwide ceasefire on the grounds that the group was designated a “terrorist organisation”.
On Saturday Japan’s special envoy to Myanmar, Yohei Sasakawa, travelled to Rakhine state at the military’s request to meet with parties in areas where voting was cancelled.
He told reporters during the visit that he would urge the Union Election Commission (UEC) to hold by-elections in the nine townships where voting was fully or partially cancelled last month because of the conflict.
