If the State Counsellor wants peace she needs to take back her statement instructing the military to “crush” the Arakan Army.

Arakan Army’s (AA) spokesperson Khaing Thukha told Network Media Group on a phone interview that Aung San Suu Kyi must withdraw what she had said to “Crush to an end” the ethnic army, in order to build trust to proceed peace.

“They said that they are going to eradicate us. On the other hand, they are going to talk about peace.” For achieving peace, this isn’t very pragmatic, he said.

The State Counsellor told the military to “crush to an end” the AA after four police outposts were attacked, killing 13 policemen and wounding nine in northern Rakhine State in early January, said Zaw Htay, spokesperson for the Burmese government.

During a press conference in mid-January, Maj-Gen Tun Tun Nyi, vice chairman of the military’s information team, said AA is only an “insurgent group”. The State Counsellor instructed the Army to take action, he said.

If the “Bamar (Burmese) government and Bamar army want peace”, Aung San Suu Kyi needs to take back her words, Khaing Thukha said. After this, “we can continue to build mutual trust among us.”

Heavy fighting between the Burmese Army and AA is occurring in northern Rakhine and southern Chin states.

About 7,000 civilians are displaced since January. The Burmese Army blocked aid to many of the displaced camps.

Fighting is expected to intensify after the Army sent in re-reinforcements, AA said.

In northern Rakhine State, clashes have broken out in Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Ponna-Kyun, Rathaytaung, Buthitaung, Maungdaw. Fighting is also affecting Paletwa township in southern Chin State.