Myanmar officially designates the Arakan Army as terrorist organisation
The Burmese government has officially designated the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic rebel group, as a terrorist organisation on March 24. Christians in both Chin and Rakhine states often become targets of abduction from the AA. A church group in Sittwe told ICC that the AA keeps a list of pastors that it wishes to abduct.
Published in official notices in state media, the government says the AA and its political wing, the United League of Arakan, have constituted a danger to law and order, peace and stability of the country and public peace. Therefore, the President, as per Section 16 of the Unlawful Associations Act, has declared the group and its affiliated groups as an Unlawful Association in accordance with the stipulations in Section 15, subsection (2) of the Unlawful Associations Act.
This official designation as a terrorist group for the AA allows it to be termed illegal. A separate government notice on Tuesday declared the AA and its affiliate to be unlawful organizations, which criminalizes contact with them.
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