Narinjara News, 13 January 2023

More than 20 out of 70 Rakhine village administrators, whoresigned from their posts recently, do not want to continuetheir duties even though the Arakan Army leaders urged themto do so.
Those 70 village administrators under PonnaKyunt township, 16 miles north of the State capital cityof Sittwe, left their positions due to thedilemma while carrying out their dutiesvirtually under two administrations (the military governmentand the AA).
Once they resigned from their posts, which wasendorsed by the junta government,the common people start in respective rural areas start facingdifficulties while dealing with necessary travel documents, preparingnational identity cards, etc.
Lately, the AA authorities invited them for ameeting and asked them to continue their jobs for the benefitof local people.
However, 20 villageadministrators have sent separate letters to the townshipgovernor stating that they are not interested to serve as the headof respective villages.

“We gave reasons includingthe health issues. Moreover, we can not work under two competingadministrations. So, we do not wantto rejoin our duties,” said one of the administrators.

Soon after the AA leaders asked those village administrators for returning totheir duties, the township’s military council authority called for a meetingwith them. But 20 administrators did not attend it.

The remaining 50 village administrators participatedin the meeting and agreed to rejoin in their duties.
"If the village administrators do not perform as expected,the common people will suffer. The villagers may find itdifficult to receive the government'ssupport addressing the elderly and pregnant women. Moreover,they will face difficulties in acquiring necessary government documents. Hence they shouldrethink about their decisions,” said a village administrator, whowanted anonymity.

19 village administrators from Rathedaung township also resigned from theirposts on 16 December last. However, they retook their positions after the AA suggestion.
Between 2018 and 2020, when the intensegunfighting between the junta soldiers and AA members wenton across the State, many village administrators from Mrauk U, KyaukTaw and Rathedaung townships submitted their resignation letters saying thatthey could not perform under two parallel administrations.