The Arakan Army (AA), which now controls 14 of the 17 townships in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State, is preparing to rename several towns as part of a broader push to assert Rakhine identity and historical continuity.
According to sources close to the group, Pauktaw, seized on 19 January 2024, will be renamed Vīraṭṭhānī (“abode of the brave”), while Minbya, captured the following month, will be renamed Añjanapura (“city of Añjana”).
The Lemyo River, which flows through the state and stretches more than 230 km from southern Chin State to the Bay of Bengal, was known in ancient times as Añjana, reports The Irrawaddy.
Residents and sources said other towns in Maungdaw and Sittwe districts may also be renamed, though details have not yet been disclosed.
“We’ve heard they plan to rename many towns. For now, it’s Pauktaw and Minbya. Other towns may follow,” one source said.
The move draws on the legacy of the Arakan (Rakhine) kingdom, which flourished through four dynasties — Dhanyawadi, Vesālī, Laṅgmro, and Mrauk U — from the fouth century to the late 18th century CE, with 17 royal capitals and numerous towns. The kingdom fell to Burmese forces more than 240 years ago.
A Minbya resident said, “These names are drawn from history. Minbya was a key fortified town during the Laṅgmro and Mrauk U periods.”
As part of preparations, the United League of Arakan (ULA), the AA’s political wing, together with the Green Arakha project and local youths, have been planting trees along roads in Pauktaw and Minbya.
The AA has also established a parallel administration under the ULA, with departments for governance, justice, education, and health. Its education department is drafting new curricula in the Rakhine language, including plans to replace Grade 12 Burmese with Rakhine.
Sources said the Grade 12 Rakhine curriculum has already been prepared and is awaiting publication, likely from the next academic year.
In 2025, the AA reorganised the 14 Rakhine townships and neighboring Paletwa Township in Chin State into eight districts under its administration. Commander‑in‑Chief Tun Myat Naing has vowed to capture the remaining townships — Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung — by 2027, pledging to fight until a “final victory” is achieved. Residents have reported ongoing clashes in Sittwe and Kyaukphyu.
Analysts say the renaming effort is part of a broader attempt to realign present‑day towns with the cultural and political lineage of the Rakhine kingdoms, embedding historical references into contemporary governance.
“It seems they want to revive old names and historical references. In our view, whether names change or not doesn’t matter as much as whether people are governed and protected properly,” a Rakhine youth told The Irrawaddy.
Observers note the AA’s moves echo earlier practices by Myanmar’s military regimes, which renamed towns and streets after the 1988 coup and during the Than Shwe era, when Naypyitaw’s townships were given Pali names such as Ottarathiri (“prosperity of the north”), Dakkhinathiri (“prosperity of the south”), and Zeyathiri (“prosperity of victory”).
