Kuala Lampur, June 25 -- For much of the past five years, Asean has understandably focused on Myanmar's military coup, humanitarian crisis and the stalled implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. Yet another development deserves equal attention.

The rapid rise of the Arakan Army (AA) has fundamentally altered Myanmar's strategic landscape and could reshape the geopolitical balance in the Bay of Bengal and the eastern Indian Ocean.

This is no longer simply another ethnic insurgency.

The Arakan Army has evolved into one of Myanmar's most capable military organizations.

Across much of Rakhine State, it exercises effective territorial control while administering taxation, courts, local governance and public services. In many respects, ...