The “Madness” of Myanmar’s Anti-Junta Faction Remains Alive and Well

Arakan Army acknowledges authenticity of video showing killing of prisoners.

While this column cannot independently verify the specific events shown in the footage in question, there have been frequent reports from Myanmar of ethnic armed groups killing prisoners. In January 2025, the human rights organization Fortify Rights analyzed and released footage showing soldiers from the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State slitting the throats of two detained military prisoners in February 2024. The AA acknowledged the authenticity of the footage and stated that those involved “have been or will be punished,” though they did not disclose further details. The organization disputed the AA’s characterization of the killings as “retaliation,” pointing out instead that multiple soldiers had killed the prisoners with the involvement of the chain of command.

This situation is set against the backdrop of “Operation 1027″—a coordinated offensive launched in October 2023 against military bases by the “Brotherhood Alliance” (comprising the MNDAA, TNLA, and AA). Following a second phase of the offensive in 2024, analysts observed a shift in the nature of the conflict: it evolved from a struggle for democratization into a fight aimed at establishing ethnic minority control over territory. A U.S. State Department human rights report documents killings and abuse committed by ethnic armed groups alongside the killing of civilians by the regime, illustrating that the violence in the region is not one-sided.