Twan Mrat Naing

Major General Twan Mrat Naing, also spelled Tun Myat Naing (Burmese: ထွန်းမြတ်နိုင်), is the commander in chief of the Arakan Army, an insurgent group based in Kachin State, Myanmar (Burma).[1][2][3]

Twan Mrat Naing
ထွန်းမြတ်နိုင်
Born (1978-11-07) 7 November 1978
Akyab, Arakan State, Burma
AllegianceArakan Army
Service/branchArakan Army
Years of service2009–present
RankMajor General
Commands heldCommander-in-Chief, Arakan Army
Battles/warsInternal Conflict in Myanmar
Spouse(s)Nhun Zar Phru ( ?- present )
ChildrenSaw Prae Shun, Mrat Lun Zun

Naing has led the Arakan Army since its founding in 2009, and maintains the rank of Major General. Naing is of Arakanese descent and resides in Laiza, Kachin State, where the Arakan Army's "temporary headquarters" are.

Naing was born in Sittwe, the state capital of Rakhine State. He left for jade mining in Kachin State, recruiting disaffected Arakanese Buddhists to his insurgent group.[4] He was one of twenty-six men to form the Arakan Army with a support from the Kachin Independence Army. In 2018, the clashes between Arakan Army and Burmese military intensified in Northern Rakhine State.

Career

Tun Myat Naing is the current commander of the Arakan Army. In 1998, he planned to join Arakan National Council but their general was killed in action. After returning to Rakhine where he studied at Technological University, Sittwe. In 2004, he collaborated with Nyo Twan Awng (also known as Zaw Myo Thet), a surgeon doctor who is now a Vice Commander in-Chief of Arakan Army. In 2009, they founded the Arakan Army.

Arrests by Myanmar government

On 10 July 2019, Aung Mrat Kyaw, Twan Mrat Naing's younger brother, along with five Arakanese were detained by the Singaporean government and deported to Myanmar, where they were arrested shortly after arriving. Singapore's home ministry said they had organized and mobilized some members of the Myanmar community in Singapore to support the Arakan Army, and its political wing, the United League of Arakan.[5][6]

On 18 October 2019, the younger sister of Twan Mrat Naing, Moe Hnin Phyu and her husband, Kyaw Naing, were arrested at the Yangon International Airport after they returned from Chiang Mai, Thailand and are currently being questioned. They are accused of having the connection with the seizure of explosive devices in Mandalay according to Zaw Htay, Spokesperson of the State Counsellor's Office.

On 6 December 2019, Twan Mrat Naing's wife - Hnin Zar Phyu and her two children were detained by Thai immigration officials in Chiang Mai, when she went there to extend her visa.[7] Thailand Immigration Bureau's Chiang Mai office arrested her due to the presence of her name on the list who has affiliation with the Arakan Army, provided by the Myanmar Government. On 25 February 2020, the detained family left for Switzerland under the political asylum initiated by the UNHCR.[8][9]

Personal life

Twan Mrat Naing is married to Hnin Zar Phyu. The couple have two children, a daughter, Saw Pye Shin, and a son, Myat Lin Zan.[7] Twan Mrat Naing's father-in-law is San Kyaw Hla, the speaker of the Rakhine State Hluttaw and an Arakan National Party (ANP) politician.[7]

See also

References
  1. "About AA". Arakan Army. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  2. "Arakan Army Leaders". Arakan Army. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  3. "ETHNIC LEADERS HAVE THEIR SAY – PART 1". Karen News. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  4. "Explainer: The insurgents plunging Myanmar's Rakhine back into chaos". Reuters. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. "Myanmar citizens deported from Singapore over alleged insurgent ties remanded in custody". Reuters. 26 July 2019.
  6. "AA Chief's Brother, Several Arakanese Arrested in Singapore". The Irrawaddy. 10 July 2019.
  7. "Spouse and children of AA chief arrested in Chiang Mai". Burma News International. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  8. "Wife, Children of Leader of Myanmar's Arakan Army Detained in Thailand". The Irrawaddy. 6 December 2019.
  9. "AA chief's wife, children left for Switzerland". Narinjara. 26 February 2020.
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