Military council leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in his message to the 51st Mon State Day ceremony, stated that building a democratic nation requires wisdom and knowledge, and that it is time to learn lessons from the destruction of people’s lives, properties and well-being. This statement comes amid ongoing military operations against civilians across the country.
Despite winning a landslide victory in the 2020 general election, the National League for Democracy was ousted when Min Aung Hlaing seized power, claiming electoral fraud. In his message, he emphasized that building a democratic nation requires unity, discipline, respect for law and order, and wisdom from all citizens. He further claimed that the country’s stability and development have been hindered because they must focus on defending against destructive forces rather than nation-building.
However, in reality, military council forces continue to commit various forms of violence against civilians, including airstrikes, artillery attacks, and military operations. International organizations, including the United Nations, have documented numerous human rights violations by the military, including forced conscription of young people aged 18-35, bombing of refugee camps and monasteries, artillery attacks on civilian areas, and arbitrary arrests and killings of innocent civilians. These actions directly contradict Min Aung Hlaing’s statements about democratic nation-building and protecting people’s welfare. The military council’s actions have been widely condemned by both domestic and international organizations, who have provided extensive documentation of these human rights violations and attacks on civilians.
