Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing, whose military is now bracing for resistance attacks in Ayeyarwady and Magwe regions after losing large swaths of territory in ethnic states, has declared his regime “will not yield to demands from the gun” made by groups fighting for democracy or autonomy.
The junta boss issued the warning during his Independence Day address on Saturday, telling resistance groups to give up their armed struggle.
Despite the bold warning, his regime ceded three townships and the Western Command headquarters in Rakhine State last month, as the ethnic Arakan Army took control of 14 of the 17 townships in the westernmost state. The regime has also lost almost the entire northern Shan State to ethnic forces.
The defeats in Rakhine have exposed bordering Ayeyarwady and Magwe regions to potential resistance attacks, prompting deputy junta boss Soe Win to travel to Ayeyarwady and place regime forces there on alert.
Min Aung Hlaing issued the warning after the AA announced last week that it was ready to hold talks with the regime. However, critics say the junta chief is making empty threats. His regime has been unable to launch any military operation to retake northern Shan State, while continuing to lose towns and bases to ethnic forces in Rakhine, Chin, Kachin and Karen states.
On Saturday, the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) claimed that People’s Defense Forces and ethnic armed organizations have secured complete or partial control of 144 of the country’s 330 townships, leaving just 107 in regime hands four years after the 2021 coup.
Meanwhile nearly 15,000 regime soldiers and police have defected to the civil disobedience movement, and over 480 “have taken up revolutionary duties,” according to the NUG.
Min Aung Hlaing sought to boost morale among his demoralized troops by awarding military honors on Independence Day, including posthumous promotions for two officers killed in action in Rakhine last month — Colonel Aung Naing Myo, commander of the 22nd Light Infantry Division in Maungdaw, and Colonel Tun Tun Win, chief medical officer of No. 2 Military Hospital in Ann.
While the two towns were under siege and junta troops there were running out of drinking water, Min Aung Hlaing was celebrating the National Sports Festival in Naypyitaw. His actions drew flak from military supporters, who said he should have been finding ways to supply the besieged troops.
The junta chief also awarded social excellence awards to 249 individuals, including ethnic leaders such as Khun Htun Oo, the late chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, current party leader Sai Nyunt Lwin, and Mon ethnic leaders.
The beleaguered junta boss used his New Year message to accuse other ethnic leaders of attempting to break up the Union.
