Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
Myanmar’s Arakan state has been officially reorganized into eight districts by the Arakan Army controlling all of Arakan state, as of May.
The eight newly designated districts are: Maungdaw District, Sittwe District, Paletwa District, Mrauk-U District, Minbya District, Kyaukphyu District, Toungup District, and Thandwe District.
Previously, the Arakan army administered Arakan state according to military zones. However, under the newly established administrative structure, it is now organized into five levels: central, district, township, sub-township, and village levels.
Maungdaw District includes Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships. Sittwe District includes Sittwe, Rathedaung, and Pauktaw townships. Paletwa District includes Paletwa Township. Mrauk-U District includes Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw townships. Minbya District includes Minbya, Pauk Taw, and Myebon townships. Kyaukphyu District includes Kyaukphyu, Ramree (Yanbye), and Ann townships. Toungup District includes Toungup and Manaung townships. Thandwe District includes Thandwe and Gwa townships.
In November 2023, the Arakan Army launched a military campaign against the Myanmar military to seize control of the state, capturing 14 of the 17 towns. This conflict has also affected the Rohingya, who have been subjected to violence, forced displacement, and persecution by both sides. They were also subjected to a “genocidal” campaign by the Myanmar military in 2017, which forced nearly a million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
Under the rule of the Arakan Army, the Rohingya have suffered widespread abuses, including the sealing of their homes following malicious complaints, the seizure of their homes, the confiscation of their valuables, the displacement of many families, and the imposition of strict restrictions on their movement between villages, restricted by a network of security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of every Rohingya village.
