Khaing Moe Lunn

On a Saturday in 1944 Khaing Moe Lunn was born. He is a well-respected, revolutionary leader for the Arakan people. He is remembered for his leadership, sacrifice, transparency and loyalty. On a Saturday in 1977 he died.

Khaing Moe Lunn helped to establish the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) on 9 April 1967 in Yangoon. It was founded by him and fourteen other Arakan men fighting for democracy. Originally the leader of the ALP was Khaing Pyi Thein, but the arrest of the original members on November 26th 1968, prevented any further democratic activism by the ALP and Khaing Pyi Thein’s leadership ended. Determined to revive the ALP and its pro democracy-efforts, Khaing Moe Lunn planned its revival while imprisoned. The (BSPP) Burma Socialist People Progressive party gave amnesty to most ALP members including Khaing Moe Lunn, as the remark of the triumph of assembly of International Sanghā. Actually they are imposed for 20 years imprisonment.

In 1971, Khaing Moe Lunn and seven jailed members of the ALP were released and relocated to the Winkha camp, occupied by the KNU. There, Khaing Moe Lunn survived as a medic and produced and sold charcoal.

On 7 January 1973 he decided to reestablish the ALP and begin fighting for democratic change in Burma. Khaing Moe Lunn by this time determined that given the long history of oppression and genocide of the Arakan people by the Burmese military, peaceful means were not working As a result Khaing Moe Lunn established the Arakan Liberation Army.

When Khaing Moe Lunn approached the KNU for an alliance, the KNU had already given its’ support to the Arakan Independence Organization (AIO) led by ALP’s original leader Khaing Pyi Thein. The KNU believed that Khaing Moe Lunn should speak with the KIO and work with them. Because at that time the KNU believed that one ethnic group should have one armed group. So, they wanted him to join the AIO and he sent many telegraphs to Khaing Pyi Thein. But the message didn’t get through. Without support of the AIO or the KNU, Khaing Moe Lunn decided to go to Vietnam to seek assistance. At last, the KNU gave their support to the ALP.

Then ALP and ALA grew stronger and stronger because there were many people who were interested in Arakan liberation and thanked the organizer, Khaing Soe Naing Aung, present vice president of ALP eastern border. They captured arms from the enemy. They tried to march to the Arakan State across the Rakhine mountain ranges, but failed. They first marched from WinKha camp to Thawlaetaw camp. On the 5th of June he decided to march with his forces from the Thawlaetaw camp through the Arakan State to the Chin State. On 20th of June they began this 1800 mile march. Before they reached Arakan State, they got the Arakan peoples support. On their journey they formed alliances with the (SSPP) Shan State Progressive Party, (SNLF) Shan Nationality Liberation Front and (PNO) Pa-O National Organization and they marched to the middle of Shan State to Northern Shan State. These forces met up with the KIA and moved to the far side of the Chintwin River. In April 1977, they reached the Naga Mountain ranges in Chin State near the border of India. The allied forces fought many battles galliantly, but were outnumbered, poorly equipped and low on rations.From there they marched to nearby Himawanta mountain ranges to avoid the enemy as much as possible. Khaing Moe Lunn told his friends that they will save their ammunition until they reached ithe Arakan State After suffering severe losses and seeing many friends die, Khaing Moe Lunn led his remaining forces on a journey back home to continue the fight from their home state.

On Saturday, June 4th 1977, eight miles away from the Morbane village on the way to the Arakan State with Burmese military forces closing in, Khaing Moe Lunn raised his pistol to his head and ended his life rather than suffer capture and torture at the hands of the Burmese.

Khaing Moe Lunn was ethnically a Rakhaing but he was above the racial prejeduice and dreamer of a liberatedArakan with the united strength of all Arakan people. He was one of the rare Rakhaing leaders with a clear vision for the people of Arakan. He knew very well that struggle of Arakan liberation will not be successful until and unless the second major community of Arakan known as the Rohingya are being incorporated into the liberation forces. So, he decided to meet the Rohingya leaders so that ALP aqrmy can be formed with all races of Arakan.

He went to meet a revolutionary Rohingya known as Sheik Ahmed later named as Bo Khaing Re Myint in ALP.He was a business man at Messod/Thailand engaged in trading border trade. Bo Khaing Moe Lunn persuaded himto take the responsibility to participate and recruit Rohingya youths in ALP.

ALP was blessed with Rakhaing and Rohingya people to carry on historical mission, unfortunately they armycould not reach to Arakan territory. U Khaing Re [e-mail] Ahmad along with other ALP Rakhaing and Rohingyacomrades were arrested who were sentenced to death,however,they were later released by general Amnesty.Now U Khaing Re Myint Lives in Malaysia.

U Khaing Re Myint once visited the mother of BO Khaing Moe Lunn,when she met him she cried a lot embracinghim telling that he found back her son who sacrificed his life for Arakan and requested to continue the uncomplete liberation struggle of Arakan as dreamed by her son until death.

Bo Khaing Moe Lunn was a real,visionary, far-sighted and politically sagacious Arakan leader blessed withall gifted qualities of a leader whose loss can not be recovered in the golden history of Arakan.All Arakanpeople disregarding race, religion and languge honor and salute this great son of the soil of Arakan.