Mizzima
The Arakan Army (AA) announced on 25 March 2024 that it invites and welcomes foreign investment in areas that it controls and that it will protect any foreign investments in its areas.
The announcement said that the AA would welcome any investments that benefit Rakhine State and it would also ensure the security of any such projects and the security of the people working on them.
It also highlighted that the AA is a reliable organisation and is doing its best to bring peace, stability, security, new administrations, regional development and healthcare, as soon as possible, to the areas under its control.
The announcement also urged foreign investors who already have projects underway in Rakhine State to cooperate with the AA and continue with their projects.
Foreign-financed projects underway in Rakhine State include the Chinese funded Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the Indian-funded Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP), which also goes through areas of Chin State under AA control.
The KMMTTP is a transport route connecting the landlocked Indian northeastern states with a port at the mouth of the Kaladan River in Rakhine State.
In Myanmar, the project will consist of a highway through Chin State from the Indian border at Zorampu to a river port in Paletwa Township, also in Chin State. From there, goods will be transferred onto boats and carried down the river to the seaport at the mouth of the Kaladan River.
So far, in Myanmar, the building of the river port at Paletwa, the dredging of the Kaladan River so that it can take bigger cargo ships and the construction of the port at the mouth of the Kaladan River in Sittwe have been completed, but the road between Zorampu and Paletwa still needs to be built.
Construction of the road was suspended in 2020, but it restarted in early 2023 and as recently as June 2023, the junta Federal Economy and Commerce Minister U Aung Naing Oo said that the road was under construction and that completion of the KMMTTP would not be affected by fighting in Rakhine State.
But, the AA broke a November 2022 ceasefire with the junta in Rakhine and Chin states in November 2023. The renewed fighting then stopped construction of the road and the AA took control of Paletwa.
The Indian Government had already held talks with the junta about the Zorampu to Paletwa highway, but since the AA has now taken control of Paletwa it is also in talks with the AA about the parts of the project in areas under the AA’s control.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Indian state of Mizoram, Pu Valavena, already met with officials from the Arakan Army (AA) at the border on 29 February to discuss the KMMTTP.
Currently, the AA is in control of Paletwa Township in Rakhine State and the townships of Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Myaybon, Ponnagyun, Ramree and Rathedaung in Rakhine State.
According to the AA announcement, it is currently launching attacks and offensives against all the remaining junta military outposts in Rakhine State and it will not stop until all the posts surrender or are overrun by the AA.
