After Executions, Myanmar Anti-Regime Forces Issue Joint Vow to Topple Junta
By The Irrawaddy 27 July 2022
Myanmar’s civilian National Unity Government (NUG), ethnic armed groups and National League for Democracy (NLD) declared in unison that the endgame to uproot the fascist military had begun, in a joint statement released a day after the junta announced the hangings of four detained pro-democracy activists.
In an unprecedented joint announcement on Tuesday, the NUG, its parliamentary body the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, along with the Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Chin National Front (CNF), All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) and National League for Democracy (NLD), vowed to fight the regime on all fronts and by all means, unremittingly and with unity.
The seven leading groups said the announcement signaled that the final phase of the people’s revolution against the regime had begun. Besides the groups, several People’s Defense Force groups and other ethnic armed forces also announced that they will escalate the fight against the regime to ensure the revolution succeeds as soon as possible.
Missing from the list were two of Myanmar’s other powerful ethnic armed groups, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Arakan Army (AA). Despite the absence of their names from the statement, both armies have assisted and fought along with resistance groups against the regime.
The junta on Monday announced that it had carried out the hangings of veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy, former NLD lawmaker Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Aung Thura Zaw and Ko Hla Myo Aung, for masterminding and being involved in the anti-regime armed struggle and related activities.
In Tuesday’s joint statement, the groups said the junta’s hangings of political prisoners were terrorist murders that were in total violation of the country’s laws.
“It is yet another unforgivable crime committed by the fascist military, which has brashly been committing killings daily since the time Mya Thwet Thwet Khine [a 19-year-old peaceful protester] was shot in the head in Naypyitaw on Feb 9, 2021, and yet another reaffirmation of the brutal crimes long committed against the ethnic minorities,” they said.
“We hereby call on all political parties, revolutionary forces, and all those at home and abroad to cooperate with us and unitedly root out this fascist system,” the statement reads.
The groups also called on foreign countries and international organizations to take concrete action against the terrorist regime, saying it has continually proved its determination to reject peaceful solutions, and called for practical support for the people of Myanmar and revolutionary forces.
The Myanmar junta has killed at least 2,123 people including children, students, activists, elected lawmakers, medics and peaceful protesters in its terror campaign against the entire population and arrested more than 148,000 people as of July 26, according to rights group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
The country’s elected leaders State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, chief ministers and Union ministers of the ousted civilian government have been detained by the junta since the coup.
