Myanmar’s shadow government, comprising members of the ousted democratically elected administration, declared a war against the military junta on Tuesday, prompting an immediate escalation of protests and fighting in parts of the country.
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The call for a “people’s defensive war” set the stage for a dramatic unraveling in the crisis-hit Southeast Asian country, where the military has violently cracked down on protesters since it seized power in a coup in February. More than 1,000 have been killed by security forces, and dozens of soldiers have lost their lives in retaliatory attacks that have increased in frequency and intensity.
Duwa Lashi La, acting president of the National Unity Government (NUG), made the declaration in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday. The NUG claims to be Myanmar’s rightful government and has wide support in the country of 54 million. It consists largely of ousted lawmakers and others affiliated with former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).
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“Today … we launched a people’s defensive war against the military junta,” he said in the address. He called on citizens to “revolt against the rule of the military … in every corner of the country.”
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Duwa Lashi La said his group was also calling on those working with the government, including civil servants, to abandon their posts and join the resistance. He ordered militias aligned with the shadow government to target the junta and its assets. The NUG’s defense ministry also released a code of ethics for fighters, which included orders not to torture or sexually assault enemy troops.
The shadow government’s intervention was largely celebrated by activists and civilians across Myanmar, who labeled it “D-Day” against the military regime.
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Within hours, student unions and other groups signed on to the NUG’s declaration, offering themselves as front-line fighters. Local media reported that junta forces clashed with armed ethnic groups in parts of the country, adding to fighting near Myanmar’s borders with Thailand and China. Flash-mob style protests broke out in rural and urban areas, with some villagers going on strike.
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“People have been severely suffering at the hands of military terrorists,” said Ko Htet Wai, an environmental activist who is part of the Bamar People’s Liberation Army, a civilian militia. “Such a call for a defensive war by the NUG will encourage those who have been fighting the military separately to stand under one banner, and become a stronger force.”
A resistance fighter who is currently training in the jungles of Myanmar said the declaration was an “alarm” for those like her.
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“The junta is killing us, so we have to fight,” she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of safety concerns. “This is such an honor for us.”
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A spokesman for the Myanmar military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Troops on Tuesday stepped up patrols of streets in Yangon, and carried out stop-and-search checks.
Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, seized power on Feb. 1, detaining Suu Kyi and other members of the democratically elected NLD government, whom they later charged with treason and other crimes. The military, led by commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing, claims that the NLD won elections last year fraudulently, but has provided little evidence and has pledged to hold a fresh vote.
The coup ended a tenuous power-sharing deal between the military and the civilian-led government, and returned Myanmar to direct military rule after a short experiment in nominal democracy. The resultant uprising has been met with lethal force and mass detentions by security forces, whose actions have been described by United Nations officials and human rights groups as crimes against humanity.
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Both the security situation and trust in the military junta have deteriorated in recent months with the spread of the delta coronavirus variant, pushing Myanmar, its economy and health system toward collapse.
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The international response has largely been led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which named an envoy to deal with the situation. The envoy, a diplomat from Brunei, has not been granted access to the country. Sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western nations have done little to change the situation on the ground. ASEAN and others have pushed for a cease fire, but Myanmar’s military has not honored promises to end hostilities.
Against this backdrop, increasing numbers of people in Myanmar have turned to violence. Tens of thousands are estimated to have completed military training in areas controlled by ethnic armies that have been fighting the Tatmadaw for decades in the country’s border regions. The military is now doing battle on multiple fronts, including against the new civilian-drawn militias.
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In his war declaration, Duwa Lashi La said Myanmar’s people, faced with the military’s atrocities, have no choice but to take such actions.
“I believe that our neighboring countries, ASEAN countries, the United Nations and all other countries around the world understand that we do it out of necessity, based on our country’s current situation,” he said.
Cape Diamond and Kyaw Ye Lynn contributed to this report.
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