On October 27, 2023, the ongoing civil war in Myanmar took a dramatic turn. Codenamed Operation 1027 after the month and date of the launch, three rebel groups called the Three Brotherhood Alliance launched their first coordinated attack on the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s armed forces. The alliance, comprising the Arakan Army (AA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA, a Palaung group based in Northern Shan State), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA, a Kokang group based in Eastern Shan State), attacked multiple targets on military, police, and defence installations along the Chinese border.
Two years earlier, being part of an alliance was essential for the AA, as it was a new armed group and had come under Tatmadaw scrutiny. It would enable the AA to gain operational experience, after which it would be capable of undertaking independent operations in Rakhine state. And that is exactly what happened. While the MNDAA and TNLA aimed to expand their areas of occupation and influence, the AA was driven by its quest for autonomy in Rakhine State, similar to other ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.
A well-trained and well-equipped AA shifted base to Rakhine State in 2014 and was ready to start operations against the Tatmadaw. However, the Arakanese were never treated as part of Myanmar’s social fabric. In May 2015, during the first quasi-democratic government of Lieutenant General Thein Sein, the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) was signed in Myanmar. Eight groups signed the agreement while the remaining seven, which were in bilateral ceasefire agreements, refused. Four other groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) which was in direct conflict with the government, also refused. The TNLA and MNDAA were not even invited.
