Status verified as of 22 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.
Current position
No independent Rakhine/Arakan state has been formally established, but the Arakan Army exercised de facto control over an estimated 90% or more of Rakhine State as of early 2025, operating parallel governance structures amid Myanmar's ongoing civil war.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: By early 2025, amid Myanmar's post-2021 civil war, the Arakan Army had gained control of an estimated 90% or more of Rakhine State's territory and at least 14 of its 17 townships, including the entire border with Bangladesh, while Myanmar's military government retained control of only Sittwe (the state capital) and Manaung, with Kyaukphyu remaining under partial control; the AA has established parallel governance structures in areas under its control. This bundle presents these as reported territorial control figures, not independently verified by this bundle, and does not narrate the military operations behind them in detail.
- Can the Arakan Army Win Recognition for Its Rule Over Rakhine State? (The Diplomat) link, Territorial control and governance sections. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/rakhine-arakan/status · last substantive update 24 September 2026.