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History, Foundation, and Re-establishment of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP)
Published in 2014
Historical records and native chronicles indicate that Arakanese society has organized and inhabited the region since approximately 6,000 BC, establishing an advanced political, social, economic, and administrative civilization that spanned 242 successive dynasties over 5,000 years. This sovereign kingdom, which originally extended from the Ayeyarwady River in the east to parts of Bengal, Tripura, and Assam in the west and north, lost its independence when the Konbaung Burmese king Bodawpaya invaded without a formal declaration of war in 1784 AD.
In response to colonial subjugation, the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) was secretly founded on April 9, 1967, at a monastery in Rangoon by nationalist leaders aiming to achieve freedom through armed struggle. However, severe security breaches and internal betrayal in late 1968 led to the arrest of nearly all core leaders and members, resulting in lengthy prison sentences that effectively suspended party operations until 1974.
Following their releases from prison and underground organizing efforts, party leaders successfully regrouped in the Karen National Union (KNU) Special Brigade 101 area at Kaw Moo Rah (Wanka). On June 1, 1974, the party established its armed wing, the Arakan Liberation Army (ALA), grounded in international military law and led by Chief of Staff Khaing Moe Lin and Deputy Chief of Staff Khaing Aung Mhin Khaing. The party and army symbols were carefully designed with the guidance of prominent historians and monks; the flag features white and red horizontal bands with a red star symbolizing purity, bravery, and revolutionary guidance, while the ALA arm patch displays a lion's head representing a fierce combat spirit.
During this second phase of revival, ALA forces underwent rigorous basic military training provided by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and forged strong alliances with fellow ethnic revolutionary organizations. ALA fighters engaged in joint military campaigns alongside Karen forces, fighting side-by-side in intense multi-front battles against the Burmese military regime across various Karen and Mon territories. These collective hardships, strategic alliances, and armed efforts laid the vital groundwork for subsequent long-distance marches and the continuous struggle for Arakanese self-determination.
Full Book in Burmese Below
