Arakan Army and Myanmar Military Agree to First Informal Ceasefire

On This Day in Arakan History ၊ November 12, 2020

November 12, 2020, marks the day when the Arakan Army (AA) issued a formal statement requesting that the Myanmar military and government hold by-elections in nine northern Rakhine townships where voting had been canceled in the November 8 general election due to security concerns. Within hours, the Myanmar military issued its own statement welcoming the AA's request and assuring coordinated efforts to enable elections in those areas.

The AA also pledged to observe a unilateral ceasefire to facilitate the vote. This mutual declaration effectively halted more than two years of intense armed conflict that had displaced over 230,000 people and killed hundreds since November 2018. For the people of Rakhine State, this date brought the first respite from relentless fighting, opening roads, allowing humanitarian access, and raising hopes for lasting peace. It also means the de facto recognition of the AA’s existence in Arakan by the Myanmar military, a position the latter had been rejecting for years.

The November 12, 2020 ceasefire was historically significant as the first formal cessation of hostilities between the AA and Myanmar military since their conflict escalated in 2018. Japan's special peace envoy, Yohei Sasakawa, played a crucial mediating role, with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing having requested him to approach the AA to coordinate on possible elections.

Myanmar military conducted arson attacks against civilian homes in Rakhine State's Mrauk-U township in western Myanmar in 2020, before the ceasefire between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (source@ap)

The announcement came just four days after the general election, reflecting both sides' recognition that the cancellation of voting in predominantly Rakhine townships—affecting an estimated 1.2 million voters—had disenfranchised the Rakhine population and needed resolution. The ceasefire paved the way for direct engagement: an online meeting between senior leaders from both armies on November 25 , followed by an in-person meeting in Panghsang on December 9. These talks focused on election coordination, food and medical supplies to conflict-isolated villages, and maintaining mutual trust.

The November 12, 2020 ceasefire fundamentally reshaped Rakhine State's political landscape in ways that continue today. After the February 2021 military coup, the junta removed the AA's terrorist designation on March 11, 2021, seeking to avoid opening another front. The AA used the ceasefire to consolidate control over approximately two-thirds of Rakhine State, establishing administrative and judicial structures through its Arakan People's Authority.

This period transformed the AA from a purely military organization into a parallel governing structure with widespread civilian support. The ceasefire formally broke down between July and November 2022, with intense fighting erupting again but the informal truce was reinstated on November 26, 2022 . The November 12, 2020 date thus stands as the moment when the AA gained the strategic breathing space to build the governance structures that would enable its dramatic territorial expansion in subsequent years.