Speaking at the Armed Forces Day parade, Min Aung Hlaing says “acts of terror” by opponents of the coup must be dealt with “forever”.
Myanmar’s coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has vowed to take decisive action against “terrorists” fighting against his rule, as the army staged an annual show of force for Armed Forces Day.
The senior general made his remarks on Monday after soldiers marched in formation through a parade ground in the capital Naypyidaw, backed by armored vehicles, missiles and artillery, as well as fighter jets and helicopters flying overhead.
Myanmar’s military has been accused of indiscriminate killings of civilians while engaging in major offensives to suppress armed resistance to the takeover of power two years ago.
In his speech, Min Aung Hlaing said those who condemned his military government showed indifference to the violence of his opponents.
Armed Forces Day marks the anniversary of the beginning of a 1945 army uprising against the occupying Japanese forces. The country then called Burma gained independence from colonial power Britain in 1948 and has been ruled by a succession of military governments for most of the years since then.
On February 1, 2021, the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking peaceful protests that security forces repressed with bloody violence that has since escalated and has been characterized by United Nations experts and others as a civil war.
Opposition to military rule is led by a self-proclaimed National Unity Government (NUG) of elected legislators who have been denied their seats by the military and claim to be the country’s legitimate government.
Its armed wing, the loosely organized People’s Defense Forces (PDF), along with their armed ethnic minority allies, regularly attacks military columns, bases and outposts.
At the same time, the army and air force are hitting villages with artillery and airstrikes, often resulting in civilian casualties and accusations of other brutal human rights violations. Their crimes have displaced more than a million people, creating a humanitarian crisis.
His government has declared major resistance organizations terrorist groups, and anyone associated with them faces severe punishment.
“The acts of terrorism committed by the NGG and its lackeys, the so-called PDFs, must be dealt with for good,” said Min Aung Hlaing in his speech.
“The [military] and the government must also take action against this terrorist group, which is trying to destroy the country and kill the people.”
While Min Aung Hlaing said his army’s actions were necessary to bring about peace, his government wants to dismiss allegations of human rights violations by pointing to the violence of its opponents.
After security forces arrested, tortured and killed activists in the cities, urban guerrilla groups responded by bombing and killing targets said to be linked to the military. On Friday, an experienced corporate lawyer accused of being a military friend was shot dead in the country’s largest city, Yangon.
There were scattered protests against the military celebration.
Independent online media reported that explosions occurred in at least three parts of the country’s largest city, Yangon, on Monday morning.
Yangon Revolution Force, a pro-democracy activist group, announced that it had protested Armed Forces Day by performing a ritual at a Buddhist pagoda that placed a curse on Min Aung Hlaing. The leaders of the army, like many people in Myanmar, are known to be very superstitious.
In the northwest Sagaing region, a stronghold of armed resistance, people held small protests against Armed Forces Day.
“The situation is quite desperate,” Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng said from Naypyidaw. “An army spokesman told us that the army only controls two-thirds of the country. He sees that the elections due later this year will be very difficult as they are still trying to control their fighting in the east, west and north, even in the center of Myanmar.”
Cheng added: “Western sanctions are also starting to bite, and I think this puts the generals in charge in a difficult position… But at this stage there seems little sign that they are ready to loosen their grip on the country. relax.”