Myanmar’s Arakan Army Declares Intent to Obstruct National Election

The Arakan Army (AA), a powerful ethnic armed group in Myanmar, has announced its intention to prevent the upcoming national election in areas under its control. On Monday, August 11, 2025, the group declared it would thwart the military junta’s planned national election in its controlled territories.

Since the military coup in 2021 sparked a civil war, the Arakan Army has emerged as a significant challenge to Myanmar’s ruling generals. The group currently controls nearly the entire Rakhine State in western Myanmar.

In addition to the Arakan Army, the junta is facing resistance from various ethnic armed groups that have long opposed central rule. These groups have been joined by pro-democracy guerrilla units fighting on the frontlines. The military junta lifted the national state of emergency, imposed during the 2021 coup, towards the end of July 2025, announcing that a general election would be held in December. However, pro-democracy lawmakers ousted in the coup, along with various anti-junta groups, have declared a boycott of the election. A United Nations expert has labeled the junta’s election as a “sham,” accusing it of being a maneuver to sustain the junta’s rule. Experts monitoring the conflict in Myanmar note that the Arakan Army controls at least 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships. The group’s spokesperson, Khaing Thu Kha, stated, “An election without public support will not benefit the people; rather, it will further confuse them.” He added, “The military junta may hold elections in areas under its control, but we will not allow it in our territories. It is certain that the people of Rakhine are not interested in this election.” According to junta statistics, at least 2.5 million of Myanmar’s 51 million population reside in Rakhine, bordering Bangladesh. Although a ceasefire between the Arakan Army and the junta was initially in place, it collapsed by the end of 2023. Subsequently, other armed groups joined the Arakan Army in its fight against the junta, leading to the military losing control of several regions in intense clashes. In response to rebel attacks, Myanmar’s military has conducted widespread airstrikes in Rakhine and imposed an unofficial blockade, effectively isolating the coastal state from the rest of the country. According to the United Nations, approximately 560,000 people in Rakhine are currently displaced. The junta claims it has imposed a local state of emergency in 14 townships to ensure stability, peace, and law and order.[](https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/politics/aa-rejects-juntas-planned-election-in-rakhine.html)