For years, many in the international community, myself included, cautiously entertained the idea that the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine armed group in Myanmar, might one day become part of the solution to the Rohingya crisis. As the Myanmar military regime continued its campaign of brutality against civilians, especially ethnic minorities, some looked to the AA and other rebel factions as alternative governance structures that might offer greater inclusion, stability, and even justice. That illusion has now been shattered.