Arakan Liberation Party/Army (ALP/ALA)

Founded – 9 April 1967 (first time), 1 June 1974 (second time)

Headquarters – India-Myanmar border

Areas of Operation – Northern Arakan State and Karen State

Chairman – Khaing Ye Khaing

Commander-in-Chief – Brig-Gen Khaing Min Soe

General Secretary – Khaing Kyaw Khaing

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091146005481

Since the 2021 military coup, the ALP has split into three groups. This is considered the most significant period of fragmentation in the party’s more than 50-year history. At the end of 2021, the party was divided into two factions: one led by Chairman Khaing Ye Khaing, and the other by Vice Chairman Khaing Soe Naing Aung. The Khaing Ye Khaing faction abandoned the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), while the Khaing Soe Naing Aung faction chose to continue to adhere to it. In January 2022, the Khaing Ye Khaing faction announced that Khaing Soe Naing Aung’s group had been expelled from the ALP.

On 5 March 2023, Daw Saw Mra Razar Lin, who was the Vice Chairperson in the Khaing Ye Khaing faction, announced the reformation of the ALP party, stating that they were on “different paths.” The new ALP party, with her as the chairperson, chose to continue with the NCA path and engaged in discussions with the military junta. However, on 20 March, Khaing Kyaw Khaing, the General Secretary of the Khaing Ye Khaing faction, issued a statement clarifying that Daw Saw Mra Razar Lin’s new party formation was illegitimate. On 1 September 2023, Chairman Khaing Ye Khaing’s ALP released a statement regarding the NCA, reaffirming that they had abandoned it. The statement also declared that the discussions between Daw Saw Mya Yazar Lin, who split from the ALP, and the military junta were completely unrelated to the ALP party.

The current ALP, led by Chairman Khaing Ye Khaing, released a statement on 3 June 2024, stating that they are committed to armed struggle and will continue to fight in the resistance-controlled territories. Therefore, the story of the ALP’s internal divisions shows no signs of a path toward reunification.

Reference: Deciphering Myanmar’s Peace Process – A Reference Guide (2024 – 2025)