Arakan Army's Political Wing Introduces Rakhine Language Curriculum in Controlled Areas

What happened

The United League of Arakan (ULA), political wing of the Arakan Army (AA), announced that from the current academic year starting July, Grade 12 students in AA-controlled areas can study Rakhine as both a language subject and medium of instruction, according to a report by DVB English. This shift primarily affects students in towns like Paletwa in Chin State, seized by the AA in 2024.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. A teacher from Paletwa, speaking anonymously to DVB, said that students in Grade 12 who do not wish to study Rakhine may opt for Burmese language courses instead, with Grades 1 to 11 taught in Burmese. However, the Global Khumi Organization has accused the ULA of forcing all students in Paletwa to learn Rakhine, a claim not independently verified. Paletwa is ethnically diverse, housing numerous groups including Chin, Khumi, Rakhine, Daingnet, and Mro.

According to the ULA’s Department of Education, 158 Grade 12 students are enrolled this year in Paletwa, most of them ethnic Rakhine but also including Khumi, Daingnet, and Mro students. The local demographics, as per a 2020 census, show a majority of approximately 80,000 ethnic Chin, including Khumi, and more than 18,000 ethnic Rakhine among a population near 100,000.

Known from the source

• The ULA announced that Grade 12 students in AA-controlled areas can study the Rakhine language starting this academic year (July 2026).
• Students in Paletwa can choose Burmese instead of Rakhine for Grade 12 according to a local teacher.
• Burmese is the language of instruction for Grades 1 to 11 in Paletwa.
• Paletwa hosts a diverse ethnic population including Chin (Khumi), Rakhine, Daingnet, and Mro.
• The AA controls 14 out of 17 townships in Arakan State following a statewide offensive since 2023.

What remains unclear

Since 2023, the AA has expanded control over Arakan State, currently controlling 14 of 17 townships and continuing fights with regime forces over strategic locations like Sittwe and Kyaukphyu. Teachers in AA areas told DVB that Burmese history was removed from curricula last year and replaced by world history, with some Rakhine history taught selectively. The Rakhine language is set to replace Burmese in other grades, though the full official history curriculum has yet to be released. Academics consider Rakhine a regional dialect of Burmese, differing in pronunciation and vocabulary but sharing a script.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of the Global Khumi Organization’s claim that students are forced to learn Rakhine in Paletwa. Confirmation of the full extent of language curriculum changes beyond Grade 12 across AA-held areas. Official release or confirmation of the revised history curriculum used in AA-controlled schools.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: DVB English. Open the source.