The Arakan Army (Kayin State) () is a
Rakhine insurgent group based in
Kayin State
Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An.
The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the ...
, Myanmar.
On 23 June 2020, Thai authorities raided a house in the border town of
Mae Sot
Mae Sot (; , ; , ; , ) is a city in western Thailand that shares a border with Myanmar to the west. It is notable as a trade hub and for its substantial population of Burmese migrants and refugees. The city is part of Tak Province, 87 km fr ...
(close to Kayin State), seizing a large stash of newly manufactured weapons originating from China. Local insurgents on the Burmese side of the border told ''The Irrawaddy'' that the weapons were likely being smuggled for the Arakan Army because "they pay good prices".
Objectives
The Arakan Army's self-proclaimed objectives are as follows:
# To gain the right to
self-determination
Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage.
Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
for the ethnic groups of Rakhine State.
# To safeguard the national identity and cultural heritage of the Rakhine people.
# To promote the national dignity and interests of the Rakhine people.
# To liberate every citizen and ethnic group of Myanmar from the Burmese dictatorship.
# To ensure peace and development for all of humanity.
References
Ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar
{{Myanmar-org-stub