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Next issue: 17 August 2026

Bangladesh, Myanmar
Sittwe siege sparks diplomatic manoeuvring around rebel Arakan Army

LogoSubscribers only By Louis Raymond
Updated on 02.07.2026 at 08:25 GMT 2 min read Lire en français
Arakan Army chief Twan Mrat Naing in Panghsang, Myanmar, on 17 April 2019.
Arakan Army chief Twan Mrat Naing in Panghsang, Myanmar, on 17 April 2019. © Lynn Bo Bo/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

Bangladesh, China, India and the Burmese opposition are all courting ethnic militia chief Twan Mrat Naing, whose army is fighting the ruling junta in Arakan State. These parties each have a stake in this region in western Myanmar and are seeking to cover their backs as the fate of state's city of Sittwe, under attack from the Arakan Army, remains uncertain.

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