Rakhine veteran politician claims Military Council’s battle cry crush EAOs supporting NUG, PDF is mere a cover for their desperate efforts to protect own camps from being captured

Narinjara News, March 27, 2023

U Phay Than, a veteran Rakhine politician, has asserted that despite the Military Council’s claims to root out the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) that back the National Unity Government (NUG) and the People’s Defense Forces (PDF), they are actually struggling to hang onto their own bases.

U Phay Than shared his views with Narinjara regarding the speech made by Junta Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during the 78th Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyidaw on March 27th. The General had stated that he would take decisive action against the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) supporting the NUG and PDF.

“ Their struggle against ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) has been going on for 70 years, but victory has eluded them. Now in addition to the EAOs, there are Bamar resistance groups such as the PDF and NUG. So there is no way that what the Junta Chief said will come true. Instead he must abandon the idea of defeating the EAOs and concentrate on defending his camps and bases with utmost determination, to prevent them from being captured”, he said.

At a lavish parade held in Naypyidaw, Min Aung Hlaing announced that he would take decisive action against some EAOs who were supporting the NUG and PDF.

“As per the Five-Point Road Map of the government, our Tatmadaw will put an effort into achieving full law enforcement and tranquility across the Union to ensure the socioeconomic security of all citizens. While pursuing these goals, I would like to make clear that lawful actions will be decisively taken against NUG and the terrorist organizations, and some EAOs sponsoring terrorism”, he declared. The Military Council has labelled NUG and PDF as terrorist organizations.

U Phay Than remained skeptical of Min Aung Hlaing’s proposal, believing it to be driven fear and apprehension over the growing unity between the PDF and EAO, rather than real situation.

“There are two types of EAOs, those that fight against the Military Council, and those that cooperate with them. The EAOs that oppose the Military Council are powerful organizations that cannot be defeated easily. Despite years of fighting against them, victory seems unattainable. It is difficult to imagine how the Military Council could take action against such powerful EAOs. He said these words only because he was afraid that EAOs and PDFs would move closer and closer ”, U Phay Than told Narinjara.

In February 2021, the Military Council staged a coup, overthrowing the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government that had won the 2020 General Election. Since then, the Military Council has faced fierce armed resistance from opposition forces, including the NUG and affiliated PDF, as part of the Spring Revolution movement that have emerged across the country.

In his speech, Min Aung Hlaing added that the opposition forces fiercely resisting the Military Council’s seizure of power are organizations that seek to destroy the country.

“Those attacks are the act of conspiracy for the devastation of the country by terrorist organizations including PDF ignited from NUG formed with an intention for political concerns and some terrorist-supporting EAOs”, he accused.

The Junta Chief issued such warning after several EAOs had provided military assistance to the PDFs, and together they have emerged as a formidable rival to post- coup military Junta.