The Arakan Army (AA) abducted 16 drivers traveling on a river ferry in Rakhine state Tuesday, capping a yearlong uptick in hostilities with government forces, RFA reported.

Tuesday’s abductions — the second such seizure of a passenger ferry in the region in recent months — came as the AA announced it is setting up a “Rakhine Peoples’ Authority” to collect taxes from businesses in areas of the state it has taken control of to fund the force and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA).

The Myanmar military and the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party swiftly rejected the new taxation plan as unacceptable and vowed to continue its fight against the rebel group.