According to military sources in Naypyidaw, Vice Military Leader Soe Win has been assigned to oversee nationwide election security and stability measures. The military council plans to hold elections in December this year, and Soe Win will lead efforts to regain control of some lost townships and ensure peaceful election conditions in territories currently under military control. Military sources indicate that regional commanders, military region commanders, and state/regional chief ministers have been instructed to begin implementing security measures for the election.
The decision to put Soe Win in charge was officially made during military and civilian meetings in early May. However, his previous track record includes a failed attempt to recapture Myawaddy city in Karen State, where he led the Aung Zeya military operation that achieved no success. Currently, all military outposts along the Thai-Myanmar border are under the control of KNLA-led revolutionary forces, and the entire Kawkareik township in Karen State is surrounded by revolutionary forces.
During Soe Win’s recent visit to Yangon, retired Brigadier General Choe Htun Aung was shot dead in Mayangone Township. Following this incident, local security officials were warned for security negligence, and orders were issued for the mandatory arrest of the perpetrators. Security forces are now collecting CCTV footage from the surrounding area and traffic lights to investigate the shooting. This series of events highlights the ongoing challenges facing the military council’s attempts to establish security control, even as they push forward with election plans despite widespread resistance and instability across the country.
