Desperate coup leaders introduce compulsory military training for youth
By Arun Kumar Shrivastav
Myanmar celebrated on April 17 the first day of the Burmese New Year, the Thingyan festival. It's a Buddhist festival celebrated for four to five days in the middle of April. Myanmar nationals in other countries celebrated the Thingyan festival, marked by great fun throwing water at each other, which they believe drives out bad luck and brings health and happiness. In the Arakan traditional culture, evenings are reserved for joyous Thingyan dance and music after the day's water play. However, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing did not attend Tuesday's Thingyan celebrations for army personnel in Pyin Oo Lwin. His wife, Kyu Kyu Hla, attended the event. Earlier, two Defense Services Academies in the town were hit by resistance rockets.
According to the Thai Enquirer, there was a long queue at the Thai embassy in Yangon on Monday. People rushed to leave the country following the junta's announcement of compulsory military service for all young men and women. The move was announced last Saturday, ordering all men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve at least two years under military command. The accompanying video showed the queue to be more than a mile long.
The civilian National Unity Government has declared the junta a “terrorist group” that imposed an illegal law due to a lack of legal mandate to enforce a legitimate one, as reported by The Irrawaddy.
In another significant development, Myanmar's junta regime has moved Aung San SuuKyi and U Win Myint, State Counsellor and President of the parallel National Unity Government (NUG), from prison to house arrest on Tuesday night.
It is believed that the two leaders have been shifted to heavily guarded houses to protect them from severe heatwave amid their failing health; Ang San Suu Kyi was kept in a solitary prison on the outskirts of capital Naypyidaw, which is reeling under 38 degrees centigrade as of today.
The move comes as intense fighting is raging across the country, causing heavy losses and casualties for the junta regime in Rakhine, Kachin, Kayah, and Karen states.
According to news reports, the People Defense Force (PDF), on April 12, intercepted a convoy of the junta regime and engaged in a deadly clash that claimed the lives of 20 security personnel and the surrender of 49 others. The PDF, which is aligned with the NUG, also seized the weapons of the junta regime security personnel.
Last week, the junta regime lost control of Myawaddy in Karen state, a major border crossing with Thailand, considered crucial for the flow of goods between Myanmar and Thailand. The junta has already lost control of a large part of the territory in the north, especially along the border with India and China. Areas in western Rakhine state are also under the control of pro-democracy fighters. On the evolving security situation, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told the media that the military junta was becoming weaker.
“The current regime is starting to lose some strength … but even if they are losing, they have the power, they have the weapons,” Srettha said.
In response to the Myanmar military's loss of control of the critical border town of Myawaddy last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on all parties to cease fire, resolve differences, and avoid escalation of the situation through peaceful means such as dialogues and negotiations.
An X user shared a poignant pro-democracy peace assembly that gathered in the night to a sing-song asking the military to hand over the power to the civilian government. “With the liberation of Myawaddy, Myanmar is finally global news again. An important moment to remember the pro-democracy revolution did not start with guns. It started three years ago with this. Peaceful civilians striking for democracy, singing together…”
Many news outlets have reported on women joining resistance fighters. France 24 English, in an X post, says, “Among those taking up arms against # Myanmar's military junta are hundreds of women, who have flocked to join rebel groups such as the People's Defense Forces, upending gender norms in the largely conservative country.”
Meanwhile, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, a Nobel laureate, has put Burmese activist Maung Zarni forward for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Zarni is known for his human rights advocacy and research on genocide. Maguire and other organizations praised Zarni's “decades-long impactful and tireless activism” promoting peace and understanding between communities. Her nomination letter highlighted Zarni's work for democracy in Myanmar and his support for non-violent movements worldwide.
Zarni acknowledged the controversy surrounding the award, citing Henry Kissinger's 1973 prize as an example. However, he expressed pride in being nominated by Maguire, whom he called a “radical anti-imperialist.”
(IPA Service)
