Captured general calls on Myanmar regime to end ‘atrocities’ in Rakhine State

The Arakan Army (AA) released a video on Thursday featuring a captured general calling on Myanmar’s military regime to concede defeat and end its “atrocities” in Rakhine State. In the video, Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Than, commander of the Western Regional Military Command (RMC), can be seen telling junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to halt indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets in the state. “I’d like to say to the senior general to admit defeat and stop conducting aerial assaults and atrocities on civilians,” the general, seated and dressed in civilian clothing, says directly to the camera. He also addresses regular soldiers in Myanmar’s beleaguered military, urging them to stop sacrificing their lives for the sake of the regime. “It’s difficult for reinforcements to reach us due to geographical barriers in Rakhine State. Don’t risk your life for these incompetent leaders. Surrender to the Arakan Army,” he says. According to the general, the Western RMC headquarters, in Rakhine State’s Ann Township, fell to the AA last week due to a long siege by the group and its allies, resulting in shortages of food and ammunition. The general was among hundreds of prisoners captured when anti-junta forces led by the AA seized control of the military command centre, delivering yet another major blow to the regime as it struggles to maintain a foothold in Rakhine State. Earlier in the month, the group captured another senior officer, Brig-Gen Thurein Tun, head of the junta’s Military Operations Command 15, as he attempted to flee following the seizure of the regime’s last base in Maungdaw Township. The 13-minute video released on Thursday also showcases AA fighters engaging in various military actions, including artillery strikes on command centres, sniper attacks, and machine gun assaults on junta helicopters. It also shows AA medics treating injured enemy soldiers, as well as prisoners of war dressed in orange jumpsuits having a meal in a detention facility. The images contrast starkly with those circulating on pro-regime Telegram channels, which purport to show junta soldiers being executed after surrendering to AA forces. The AA is coming increasingly close to its stated goal of forcing Myanmar’s military out of Rakhine State. Since launching its current offensive in November of last year, it has taken control of 13 of the state’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa Township in southern Chin State. The capture of the Western RMC headquarters represents a significant setback for the regime, as it cuts off vital supply routes connecting Rakhine State to central Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady, Bago, and Magway regions. This has put the junta on high alert in Ayeyarwady Region, where it has been forced to strengthen its defences as fighting in Gwa Township, in the far south of Rakhine State, threatens to spill across the border. Currently, the regime controls only three areas in Rakhine State: the capital Sittwe, the major port town of Kyaukphyu, and Manaung Island.

Captured general calls on Myanmar regime to end ‘atrocities’ in Rakhine State

In a video released by the Arakan Army, Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Than, commander of the junta’s fallen western military command, also urges soldiers to surrender

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