Title
Forging Rebel Alliances: How Arakan Army Expanded Across Myanmar
Speaker
Kyaw Hsan Hlaing (Ph.D. student, Cornell University)
Abstract
Over the past 16 years, the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) has evolved from a marginal insurgent group of 26 fighters in KIA-held territory to a dominant force with over 50,000 troops and control over 90% of Rakhine State. This transformation marks one of the most significant insurgent ascents in contemporary Myanmar. Unlike earlier Arakanese movements, the ULA/AA pursued a disciplined strategy of alliance-building, resource mobilization, and ethnic cooperation. By establishing operational footholds in Kachin and northern Shan States and fostering ties with Kachin, Ta’ang, Kokang, Wa, and Shan groups, the AA navigated ethnic rivalries while securing vital external sanctuaries and logistical networks—including a base in Karen State. The AA’s partnerships with groups such as the KIA, MNDAA, and TNLA were grounded in reciprocal military support. While acquiring arms and training, the AA deployed thousands of troops to assist in joint offensives, particularly in northern Shan State, bolstering both its battlefield experience and political leverage amid intensifying junta pressure. The 2021 military coup catalyzed the AA’s national expansion. Leveraging the anti-junta uprising, the AA maintained a ceasefire in Rakhine while supporting and training over 30 People’s Defense Forces (PDFs and E-PDFs) across ethnic and Bamar-majority regions—signaling its emergence as a key architect of nationwide resistance. Following territorial gains across Rakhine, the AA’s influence has expanded into southern Chin, Magway, Bago, and Ayeyarwaddy regions. While alliances in northern Myanmar remain strategically important, these new western partnerships reflect the AA’s dual focus on homeland security and a broader political role in Myanmar’s future.
Bio
Kyaw Hsan Hlaing is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Government at Cornell University, specializing in comparative politics and international relations. Before enrolling at Cornell, he resumed his undergraduate education at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in January 2023—following a seven-year gap after leaving Yangon University of Distance Education at Sittwe University—and earned his B.A. in Asian Studies, with minors in Political Science and Philosophy, in July 2024 with high academic distinction.