Together with the military coup of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the resistances against military junta have occurred inside and outside of Myanmar as follow: (1) the nationwide anti-dictatorship movements of the millions of people from hundreds of townships, (2) Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) of the government employees such as medical workers, teachers or railway workers, and (3) the Committee Representation Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), which was formed with Pyiduangsu Hluttaw representatives who had won in 2020 election. On the other hand, ethnic armed organizations and the military council have been fighting with a great momentum.
It is evident that in the villages, wards or townships in the respective Regions and States, the protests, boycotts or movements against military coup are still robust until the last week of April. Then CDM movement of the government employees in each department has been escalating. The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) has also formed National Unity Government (NUG) consisting of ethnic leaders. Hence it is apparent that every pillar, inside and outside of the country, has been resisting the military council in parallel.
Military council is still in chaos – it is just busy in trying to make the improper things as follow: use of violent suppression against protestors, issue warrants against the CRPH members or the NUG members or the anti-dictatorship protestors, and arrest such personnel. Although the State Administration Council (SAC) led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had taken the power unfairly through the unproven allegation of election fraud and declared the state of emergency in accord with the 2008 military-backed Constitution, it has not been recognized yet as a legitimate government by any country around the world within the last three months since February 1 coup and moreover it has been facing the antagonism of tens of thousands of citizens throughout the country.
Statistical Analysis on Military Coup
According to the report of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military violence between February 1 and May 2 caused nearly 800 people died, over 3,200 detained and around 1,300 warranted in all different Regions and States of Myanmar. AAPP added that the figures can be higher in the ground situation. On April 7, the CRPH published over 270,000 evidences of human rights violations after meeting with the leaders of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) of the United Nations.
Though military junta has monthly announced one-month ceasefires, Karen National Union (KNU) remarked that there had been more than (200) confrontations between KNU and the military troops since coup. Particularly, the innocent locals in the KNU controlled-area Brigade (5) have been fleeing due to the military council’s airstrike and the intensity of the fighting is still escalating. KNU, one of the signatories of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), commented that military council was violating the agreements contained in NCA.
Likewise, the battles between military council and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO/KIA) are intensifying in Kachin State (located in Upper Myanmar). According to Myanmar Peace Monitor’s record, the number of battle-days between KIA and military council has reached to 20 just in one month of April (the number of battles can be higher). Occupation of Alaw Bum Hill in Bhamo District by KIA is particularly striking and military council is still conducting the intensive air and ground operations to recapture it.
“There had been more than (200) confrontations between KNU and the military troops since coup.
NUG, Ethnic Participation and Military Junta
Though Senior General Min Aung Hlaing formed the State Administration Council (SAC) with certain political parties’ leaders who lost in 2020 election and some ethnic personnel, it can be found that his administrative mechanism is not able to operate deftly even until today. The military junta sent Lieutenant General Yar Pyae to meet with United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) for negotiations and then the separate meetings with certain NCA signatories such as DKBA, KNU/KNLA-PC and NMSP were held in Nay Pyi Taw. The discussion between Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) of the 10 NCA-signed ethnic armed organizations and SAC has been terminated.
On March 31 the CRPH introduced the Federal Democracy Charter and then announced the abolition of the Constitution of Myanmar (2008). The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) has been formed in accord with this Charter and the formation of the National Unity Government (NUG) have also been declared.
The 10 ethnic armed organizations’ PPST had expressed the warm welcome and cherished upon the abolition of the 2008 Constitution and the introduction of the Federal Democracy Charter and remarked that the formation of the National Unity Government was the first step for the ultimate culmination of military dictatorship. U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who are also currently detained by military junta, were reappointed as President and State Counsellor by this new government of NUG and Duwa Lashi La, an ethnic Kachin, was appointed as Vice-President. Mahn Win Khaing Than, an ethnic Karen, was appointed as Prime Minister.
It is supposed that Ministers and Deputy Ministers of 13 Ministries under NUG were appointed with the recommendations of the Ethnic Interim Consultative Councils. These appointed personnel involve the candidates from ethnic armed organizations, the strike leaders and the various professionals and it also put emphasis on women participation. Hence, many people from various sectors inside and outside of the country had praised the NUG cheerfully.
Together with NUG, the ‘People’s Defense Forces’ are establishing in the townships, regions or states respectively. Meanwhile, lots of military trainings are obviously taking place in the liberated areas for the revolution against military regime. Specifically, the fighting between military troops and the ‘People’s Defense Forces’ of Kale and Taze in Sagaing Region, Mindat in Chin State, Bago in Bago Region, Hlaing Thar Yar in Yangon Region appeared as the hot news in the international newspapers.
“ Together with NUG, the ‘People’s Defense Forces’ are establishing in the townships, regions or states respectively.
The World and Myanmar’s Affairs
It is not a surprise that any country around the globe has not formally recognized the military dictators who took the power from the legally elected government. Myanmar people however feel disappointed with the international response upon over 800 innocent civilians’ deaths through the military council’s brutal violence.
US, UK and EU Members put the pressures upon the military by using all available means such as blocking the source of money for military council and making sanctions upon the members of SAC. However, China and Russia’s interventions have caused the difficulty to end the violence of military council.
Five Point of Consensus arising from the ASEAN Leaders Summit held on April 24 could not effectively hinder and stop the violence of the military council led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Military junta announced that they would rethink even upon the appointment of Special Envoy, which is one of the commitments in Five Point of Consensus, based on country’s stability.
Protests, strikes or movements against military coup are taking place not only in Myanmar but also in other countries around the globe, including such as US, Japan, South Korea and Australia. The crying of Myanmar people reveals that they expect United Nations Forces to destroy the brutal military council – this is their real voice.
By studying the events in the following table, the outcomes of this week can be analyzed from every perspective.
Peace Process
• PSST leader says the formation of NUG is the first step for the ultimate culmination of military dictatorship
• NCAs EAO (Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement – Signatory, Ethnic Armed Organizations) tries to cooperate non-NCAs groups
IDPs
• Military coup caused over 200,000 locals displaced said IOM
• UN OCHRA warns an increase of thousands of displaced people
International, UN, EU and other
• UN urges to ensure freedom of expression
• Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets separately with UN Special Envoy Christine Burgener
• Obama urges world to reject Myanmar junta
• EU welcomes ASEAN’s attempt for Myanmar’s affairs
• Malaysia warns Myanmar at risk of becoming first failed state in ASEAN
Protests and Strikes
• Gen Z Artists arrived to Liberated Areas
• Protests in a guerrilla system continue in big cities
• Police Officer who came to arrest protesters blocked by people and died
• Myanmar SD General Strike Committee requests EAOs and temporary allied group to cooperate and fight against military junta
• Some detained women have been sexually abused
• Tortured father and grandfather in front of their two-and-a-half-year-old child and forced to admit for the fire of police station
Evaluation
By studying the fore-mentioned statistics and events, it can be concluded that the unity of the whole country is still durable in order to reach the targeted future of Myanmar and Her own people. Here is the potential that Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and protests against military council will keep burning intensively until the military dictatorship is completely terminated from the land of Myanmar.
Moreover, there is also the possibility to escalate the armed revolution of ‘People’s Defense Forces’ in every village, ward, township, region or state. The leaders from each ministry of the National Unity Government (NUG) are also going to start their duties on their own way. Thus, there would be no need to mention that the military council is now facing a lot of pressures.
Nowadays military council is seriously fighting with KIA in Kachin State and with KNU in Karen State. Moreover, occasionally it has faced clashes with TNLA and RCSS in the northern Shan State. There are also assumptions that Myanmar council led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing would not be able to withstand any more if the ethnic armed groups could form a new coalition to fight in the respective areas.