Brokering “Humanitarian Ceasefire” Between Myanmar Military and Ethnic Arakan Army

The Nippon Foundation has announced a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organization (EAO) in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine, ending months of intense fighting between them.

I brokered the ceasefire when I visited the Southeast Asian country between November 25 and 27 and talked with senior leaders of both the Myanmar military and the AA in my capacity as Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for National Reconciliation in Myanmar and chairman of the foundation.

I flew there in response to the urgent request from both sides for mediating a truce between them in strict secrecy, reflecting their concern about the growing number of internally displaced persons due to the conflict and also because the harvest season was approaching.

“This is not a military or political agreement, but rather a humanitarian ceasefire, and is very significant because local residents will directly benefit from the fruits of peace,” I said in a statement issued by the foundation on November 29. I plan to visit Rakhine State hopefully before the end of the year to work out further details.

Since the fierce fighting between the military and the AA resumed last July after a two-year lull, junta forces have blocked land and water transport routes, as well as communications in and out of the state, leading to serious shortages of food and medicine as well as hampering access to healthcare services for more than 2 million local residents.

A spokesman for the AA said: “Our farmers have faced the most adverse impacts. The fighting had prevented them from harvesting their rice. The main task for us right now is to get food and medicine and we urgently need to harvest the rice on time.”

There is no time frame for the humanitarian ceasefire as the agreement provides that it will remain in effect as long as the foundation and international aid organizations provide people in the state with humanitarian assistance, such as food and medicine but also in the form of building schools, clinics and infrastructure.

This is the second time that I have brokered ceasefire between the army and the AA. At the time of Myanmar’s general election in November 2020, I visited the country as head of a Japanese government election observer team. Voting was postponed in Rakhine State, however, because of instability in the area where conflict between the Myanmar military and the AA was ongoing.

Expressing concern that representatives from Rakhine would not be able to participate in parliament, I engaged in vigorous dialogue that resulted in a ceasefire to allow a special election to be held in Rakhine. This led to peace in one of the areas of Myanmar that had seen the most intense conflict. Nevertheless, fighting between the army and the AA resumed this summer, once again forcing local residents to flee.  

I hope the results of this dialogue between the military and the AA will spread and bring peace to all of Myanmar, which has experienced continued conflict for many decades. I will continue to work toward that goal as a representative of the Japanese government.