Arakan Army Chief Twan Mrat Naing Opens Door to Myanmar Government Talks — Rare Interview Covers India, Bangladesh Relations and Rakhine's Future

Arakan Army Commander-in-Chief Twan Mrat Naing (also known as Aung Myo Kyaw) gave a rare interview to The Diplomat in May 2026, signaling a degree of openness to eventual talks with the Myanmar government and addressing the AA's evolving relationships with regional neighbors India and Bangladesh. This marks a noteworthy diplomatic posture for the AA, which now controls approximately 90% of Rakhine State with an estimated 30,000-40,000 fighters and has established a functioning civil administration (United League of Arakan/ULA) covering governance, courts, taxation, and social services across the state. In the interview, Twan Mrat Naing addressed the AA's stance toward Myanmar's political future — implicitly responding to Min Aung Hlaing's April 10, 2026 presidential inauguration and the new junta government's calls for 'peace talks' while simultaneously conducting multi-front military offensives. His remarks on India and Bangladesh relations are significant: India has strategic interests in Rakhine (the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, which runs through AA-controlled Paletwa), while Bangladesh hosts approximately 900,000 Rohingya refugees and is deeply concerned about stability in neighboring Rakhine. Twan Mrat Naing's interview comes one week after Human Rights Watch published its May 18, 2026 report 'Skeletons and Skulls Scattered Everywhere' documenting the AA's alleged May 2024 massacre of at least 170 Rohingya (including 90+ children) at Hoyyar Siri village, Buthidaung Township — a report the AA denies. The diplomatic engagement context is thus highly complex: the AA seeks international legitimacy as a governing authority in Rakhine while facing documented atrocity allegations from credible human rights organizations. India and China have both made pragmatic overtures toward the AA given its de facto territorial control over CMEC-adjacent areas and BRI infrastructure routes in Rakhine. The interview reflects the AA's growing confidence as a political actor — but also increasing international scrutiny following the HRW Rohingya massacre documentation.