Myanmar Military Junta Leader Urges Foreigners To Support Government To Restore Democracy, Not Resistance Movement

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing leads the Myanmar military parade. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru)

Myanmar's military leader on Monday urged his critics abroad to support the military junta's plan to restore democracy in the country, instead of taking sides with the resistance movement he calls "terrorists" determined to destroy the country.

Speaking at the annual Armed Forces Day parade, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said international condemnation of his military government was based on a false narrative made by the shadow National Unity Government (NUG).

It said the election, which was planned to be held by the military junta in August, was widely responded to as 'acalyms', with military proxy parties losing the previous two elections, likely to dominate.

"The military and the government need to take action against terrorist groups trying to destroy the country and kill people," Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in his speech said Myanmar's sovereignty should be respected, stressing "legitimate action will be taken decisively" against terrorists, with a military emergency to be imposed in important areas that need to be controlled.

"I would like to urge the international community to collaborate with all current government efforts wisely, to be on the right path to democracy."

The coup on February 1, 2021 ended a decade of tentative democracy and unprecedented economic development in Myanmar, which has been under military rule for the past five of the last six decades.

Many political parties have been destroyed or refused to participate in elections, and some of them sided with the NUG, seeking international support and supporting militias behind guerrilla attacks on security forces.

Meanwhile, human rights groups accuse the military of committing atrocities in operations against rebel fighters, including attacks on civilians. The United Nations (UN) said at least 1.2 million people had fled.

Meanwhile, the military junta said the targets of their actions targeted terrorists, not civilians.