National Unity Government Calls For War, Myanmar Military Regime Replaces Naypyitaw Military Commander

Myanmar military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru)

JAKARTA - The shadow government of Myanmar or the Government of National Unity of Myanmar (NUG) called for war on the military regime, in order to remove the current ruler's power, Tuesday.

Citing The Irrawaddy September 7, Acting President of NUG Duwa Lashi La called on all citizens to war and revolt against the rule of military terrorists led by Min Aung Hlaing, declaring the whole of Myanmar is in a state of emergency. "That will last until the resumption of civilian rule in the country. ," said Duwa Lashi La.

The acting president also urged anyone serving under the regime to leave their jobs from today and called on the public to refrain from traveling, while asking for their support.

On the same occasion, he also invited the People's Defense Army troops to join the NUG, while the ethnic armed forces were to increase resistance against the Myanmar military regime forces.

Regardless, coincidentally or not, late last month the Myanmar military regime made changes to military officials in sensitive positions. This step was carried out on August 25 last.

According to Myanmar Now, Major General Zaw Hein, a key loyalist of Myanmar's coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, was appointed to head the military's Naypyitaw Regional Command, placing the junta chief's longtime protégé and confidant in one of the military's most sensitive positions.

Zaw Hein, who is principal of the elite Defense Services Academy (DSA) in Pyin Oo Lwin, previously served as Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's personal service officer.

Of the 14 regional military commands in Myanmar, Naypyitaw is the most important because it controls not only the security of the country's administrative capital, but also the security of the generals of the military regime.

"Commander Naypyitaw is primarily responsible for the security of the commander-in-chief," said Captain Nyi Thuta, who defected from the military after the military coup.

Zaw Hein is the son of Thein Aung, a former brigadier general who served as chief minister of the Ayeyarwady Region under former President Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government. Thein Aung was also a member of the junta that ruled Myanmar until Thein Sein took office in 2011.

To note, after carrying out a military coup last February 1, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing reshuffled a number of strategic positions of military generals.

These included General Mya Tun Oo, who moved from Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force to Minister of Defence. In the last position, he replaced Lieutenant General Sein Win. Lieutenant General Ye Aung, who served as minister of border affairs under the previous government, was also removed from his ministerial post.

The junta also removed General Tin Aung San from his position as naval commander, making him minister of transport and communications instead.

Myanmar's military operates differently than most armed forces, according to military defector Major Hein Thaw Oo, who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement in late March.

"In the military, for whatever reason, you are always afraid of anyone who is higher in rank than you. It doesn't feel like the military. It's almost like there is a king and slave system," he said in an interview last April.

The Myanmar Coup. The editor of VOI continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continue to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.