Twan Mrat Naing
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Twan Mrat Naing | |
|---|---|
 General Twan Mrat Naing during an interview with Voice of America in 2024 | |
| Native name | ထွန်းမြတ်နိုင် |
| Born | 7 November 1978 |
| Allegiance |  Arakan Army |
| Branch | Arakan Army |
| Service years | 2009–present |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | Commander-in-Chief, Arakha Army |
| Conflicts | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
| Spouse | Hnin Zar Phyu (?- present) |
Major General Twan Mrat Naing (Burmese: ထွန်းမြတ်နိုင်; also spelled Tun Myat Naing) is an Arakanese revolutionary and commander in chief of the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organization based in Myanmar's Rakhine State (formerly Arakan).[1][2][3]
Twan Mrat Naing has led the Arakan Army since its founding in 2009, and maintains the rank of Major General. Twan Mrat Naing is of Rakhine descent and commanded the Army from Laiza, Kachin State, where the Arakan Army's "temporary headquarters" were. After the Arakan Army occupied 70% of the Rakhine State, he returned to his homeland in June 2025.[4]
Career
He previously worked as a tour guide in Yangon.[6] In 1998, he planned to join the National United Party of Arakan but their general was killed in action. After returning to Rakhine where he studied at Technological University, Sittwe.[citation needed]
In 2004, he collaborated with Nyo Twan Awng (also known as Zaw Myo Thet), a surgeon doctor who is currently a Vice Commander in-Chief of Arakha Army.[citation needed] In 2009, they founded the Arakan Army.[7] He formed the Arakan Army along with 25 men in April 2009 with support from the Kachin Independence Army.[8]
In June 2022, military spokespeople from the State Administration Council said that provocative rhetoric from Twan Mrat Naing as the leader of the Arakan Army was inviting conflict.[9] The informal ceasefire between AA and the junta would breakdown after an junta airstike on an AA base in Kayin State.[10]
In September 2024, he declared that Rakhine State will be governed under a unitary state system.[11]
In September 2025, he met with Kim Aris, son of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, where he expressed deep respect for her and concern for her recent health. Kim Aris honored the resilience of the Rakhine people and their achievements.[12][13]
Views
Twan Mrat Naing has stated that Rakhine State would be established as a confederated region where the Rakhine people have the right to decide for themselves and create their own destiny.[14]
War crime allegations
According to activists such as Nay San Lwin and organizations such as Human Rights Watch, the Arakan Army allegedly committed multiple war crimes against the Rohingya people.[15][16] The Burmese Rohingya Organisation of the United Kingdom requested a federal court in Buenos Aires, Argentina to issue arrest warrants against Twan Mrat Naing and AA co-founder, Nyo Twan Awng on 3 September 2025.[17]
Twan Mrat Naing has denied allegations that he ordered war crimes against Rohingya and other Muslim populations in Rakhine State. He claimed that fighters who commit war crimes are seriously dealt with once credible evidence is revealed.[18]
Personal life
Twan Mrat Naing is married to Hnun Zar Phru (Hnin Zar Phyu in Burmese). The couple have two children, a daughter, Saw Prae Shun, and a son, Mrat Lurn Zan.[19] Twan Mrat Naing's father-in-law is San Kyaw Hla, the speaker of the Rakhine State Hluttaw and an Arakan National Party (ANP) politician.[19]
Arrests of family members
On 10 July 2019, Aung Mrat Kyaw, Twan Mrat Naing's younger brother and five other Arakanese were detained by the Singaporean government and deported to Myanmar, where they were arrested shortly after arriving. Singapore's home ministry said the detained individuals had organized and mobilized some members of the Myanmar community in Singapore to support the Arakan Army, and its political wing, the United League of Arakan.[20][21]
On 18 October 2019, the younger sister of Twan Mrat Naing, Moe Hnin Phyu and her husband, Kyaw Naing, were arrested at the Yangon International Airport after they returned from Chiang Mai, Thailand and are currently being questioned. They are accused of being connected to the seizure of explosive devices in Mandalay according to Zaw Htay, the spokesperson of the State Counsellor's Office.
On 6 December 2019, Twan Mrat Naing's wife Hnin Zar Phyu and her two children were detained by Thai immigration officials in Chiang Mai, when she went there to extend her visa.[19] The Chiang Mai office of the Thailand Immigration Bureau arrested her due to the presence of her name on the list of people affiliated with the Arakan Army, which was provided by the Myanmar government. On 25 February 2020, the detained family left for Switzerland under the political asylum initiated by the UNHCR.[22][23]
On 9 June 2021, Aung Myat Kyaw, Moe Hnin Phyu and her husband were released from prison after all charges against them were dropped. The release happened after the Tatmadaw took power in a coup d'état earlier that year.[24]