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Rakhine Rebels Say Myanmar Official Killed in Fighting

Reuters

   YANGON, MYANMAR - Rebels in Myanmar's Rakhineregion said a captured
   official from Aung San Suu Kyi's rulingparty has died, two weeks after
   being taken fororganizingprotests againstgenocide accusations faced by
   Myanmar at theWorld Court.

   TheArakanArmy rebels saidButhidaungNational League forDemocracy (NLD)
   Chairman Ye Thein, the most senior civilianofficial to die in the
   growing insurgency, was killed Mondayin an attack on the rebels by
   Myanmar's army.

   There was noindependent confirmation.

   The incident underscored the increasing loss ofgovernmentcontrol in a
   region that came to world attention when 700,000Rohingya Muslims fled
   to Bangladesh to escape an army crackdownon a different rebel group in
   2017.

   TheArakanArmy said its positions had come under attackfrom Myanmar's
   army.

   "Due to big explosions, some detaineesdiedand some werewounded. The NLD
   chairman fromButhidaung, Ye Thein, died onscene," theArakanArmy said in
   the statement. It said he hadbeen taken prisoner on December11.

   Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Rakhinesince clashes
   between theArakanArmy and the army began arounda year ago.

   The insurgents, whose forces are from the largely BuddhistRakhine
   people, are fighting for greater autonomy.The say they have no links to
   the Rohingya rebel group whoseattacks sparked the 2017 army crackdown
   that led to theaccusations of genocide brought against Myanmar at
   theInternational Court of Justice by The Gambia.

   TheArakanArmy is among several ethnic armed factions thathave said they
   support the case against Myanmar.

   Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto ruler, personally led
   Myanmar'sdefenseagainst the accusations at hearings in The Hague
   earlierthis month.

   The army made no comment on the report of the NLD official'sdeath. NLD
   party spokesmanMyoNyunt said it was theresponsibility of theArakanArmy.

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