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 intellectual maturity and it is time to learn lessons from the destruction of people’s lives and properties. He emphasized that building a democratic nation requires unity, discipline, respect for law, and intellectual capacity from all citizens. However, Min Aung Hlaing himself seized power after claiming electoral fraud in the 2020 general election, where the National League for Democracy won by a landslide.
He claimed that the current situation in the country lacks stability and development because they have to focus on defending against destructive forces rather than construction work. While Min Aung Hlaing urged ethnic armed organizations and related groups to stop activities that cause suffering to people and endanger the nation, in reality, military council troops continue to conduct airstrikes, artillery attacks, and military operations against civilians. Furthermore, they are forcibly recruiting young people aged 18-35 for military service, bombing IDP camps and monasteries, and arbitrarily arresting and killing innocent civilians.
The military council has been destroying civilian homes, looting valuable properties, and committing various atrocities across the country. Although Min Aung Hlaing talks about holding multi-party democratic elections and transferring power to the resulting government, his forces continue to commit brutal acts against civilians. The United Nations, international organizations, and domestic and international civil society organizations have documented and officially reported the military council’s unlawful acts of violence.
The military council’s actions on the ground directly contradict Min Aung Hlaing’s rhetoric about democracy and civilian welfare. They continue to target civilian areas with airstrikes, use heavy artillery against non-military targets, and conduct violent raids on villages. The forced recruitment of young people, attacks on displaced persons’ shelters, and the systematic destruction of civilian property demonstrate an ongoing pattern of violence against the Myanmar people, despite claims of working toward democratic transition. These actions have been extensively documented by various organizations, revealing the stark contrast between the military council’s public statements and their actual treatment of civilians.
