According to military sources in Naypyidaw, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has promised promotions, medals, and substantial rewards to military officers and subordinates who can successfully recapture territories lost by the military council across Myanmar. The military council emphasizes that achieving stability and peace in the country is crucial, and military council members must perform their national duties with dedication. Leadership has promised that soldiers and officers who serve dutifully without regard for their own lives and successfully recapture lost territories will be rewarded with promotions, medals, and benefits that will secure their future well-being.
The military council is making special efforts this year to recapture lost cities and territories, providing cash rewards to battalions and military columns that successfully retake small outposts and guard posts. Additionally, air force officers who have conducted bombing missions are receiving financial support. The military has also expanded its previous policy of allowing air force officers’ families and relatives to live within military compounds for security, now providing them with more spacious housing and accommodations. These measures reflect the military council’s increasing focus on maintaining loyalty among its forces while facing significant territorial losses.
Min Aung Hlaing has announced plans to hold elections in either December 2025 or early January 2026, and is pressuring military officers and soldiers to recapture lost territories and cities before these elections take place. Despite the military council’s efforts to regain control over areas that have slipped from their grip, they continue to face significant challenges due to resistance from People’s Defense Forces and ethnic armed organizations. The military council’s attempts to incentivize its forces through promises of rewards and promotions indicate their struggle to maintain control over territories they previously held, while facing increasingly effective opposition from various resistance forces across the country.
