CNI News
6 December 2025
It is now time to clearly recognize that the rollback of democracy has been caused by the armed struggle, said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission.
He made the remarks at the graduation ceremony of the 67th Intake of the Defence Services Academy held on December 3, 2025.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said:“The terrorist NUG and CRPH groups have falsely accused the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) of rolling back democracy and have indoctrinated young people with extremist ideas, pushing them onto the wrong path of armed violence.Because of these armed movements, the Union that we are striving to build has suffered heavy losses in human resources.For more than 70 years, attempts to resolve issues through armed struggle have never produced results.It is time to understand clearly that the rollback of democracy is due to the armed struggle.”
He added that if everyone shares the common goal of building a Federal Democratic Union, armed groups including the PDFs should prioritize the interests of the Union and enter the legal fold, as the State has already extended an invitation.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing continued:“On the other hand, some ethnic armed organizations that had signed the NCA have broken their promises and diverted from the path of peace.Based on past peace experiences, the Tatmadaw has laid down a clear six-point peace policy.Peace can only be achieved through dialogue.So instead of only stating what they want, all sides must work together sincerely and realistically on what can be achieved.”
On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) seized power from the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, claiming they attempted to form a government without resolving disputes over the 2020 general election voter lists.
The military then declared a state of emergency and formed administrative bodies including the State Administration Council (SAC), the Caretaker Government, and the State Security and Peace Commission. These bodies have controlled the country to this day.
As a result, NLD leaders, elected lawmakers, armed groups, pro-democracy activists, civil society organizations, and artists opposed the coup and launched armed resistance to topple the military regime.
The armed conflict has since spread across the entire country, displacing more than three million civilians and destroying hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has also stated that elections will be held in three phases—Phase (1) on December 28, 2025; Phase (2) on January 1, 2026; and Phase (3) in the last week of January 2026—and that state power will be handed over to the winning party.
