The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) said in a January 6 statement that it will join forces with other Arakan armed organisations and political parties to fight for wins in various ways until a final victory is achieved.

The statement added that a new political leadership group of nearly 40 monks and people has been formed to work with the Arakan community and individuals in the fight. Khaing Ye Khaing is reportedly the chairman and Saw Mra Yarzar Linn is the vice chairman of the recently announced political leadership.

“With this formation, we will try to reunite the party and the military to the best of our ability. We are working with other political revolutionary organisations to create a better future for the Arakan people,” Khaing Kyaw Khaing, general secretary of the ALP, told DMG.

“Basically, we have other armed forces, the ULA/AA and the ANC/AA. We refer to such organisations. Another is that we will work with political parties,” he said.

The ALP is an ethnic armed group that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government in 2015 under former President U Thein Sein.