CNI News

15 July 2025

The ULFA-I said in a statement that three leaders were killed and several comrades were injured when the Indian Army attacked the military camps of the Assamese rebel group ULFA-I in Hoyat village, Lahe Township, Naga Self-Administered Zone, Sagaing Region, Myanmar, on the morning of July 13, 2025.

The Indian Army attacked four ULFA-I camps between 1 am and 9 am using UAV drones and heavy weapons from inside Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states.

Due to the attack, the ULFA's leaders,  Lt. Gen. Nayyan Aasu (also known as Nayyan Madi), Brigadier General Lahun (also known as Ganesh Aasu), and Colonel Pradish Aasu and two comrades were killed, said an Naga armed group, an ally of the ULFA-I.

It is reported that National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Kaplan (NSCN-K) camps were also located near the ULFA-I camps when they were attacked. 

“We would like to tell the people of Assam that we are determined to avenge this brutal attack by the colonial expansionist Indian army,” the ULFA-I said in a statement.

A military camp of the ULFA-I that was attacked

CNI News reached out to Myanmar authorities regarding the attack on UNFA-I camps on the Myanmar side, but they have not yet responded.

The ULFA-I is an armed group fighting for the independence of Assam and is attacking the Indian Army.

In the northeast of India, there are armed groups such as Katha, Kuki, Naga, Assamese, Bodolan, and Zomi, that are fighting against the Indian government.

Then, armed groups fighting for the liberation of seven states in the northeastern region of India formed an alliance under the name United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFWSEA).

CNI News

15 July 2025

A civilian government would come to power if elections were held in Myanmar and military and political analysts are considering what might be the first issues the government would face. 

The SAC chairman has said that elections will be held in December 2025 and January 2026, so if they were actually held, a civilian government would emerge.

The emerging civilian government must first resolve the nearly five-year armed conflict, which is an internal matter, Sai Htay Aung, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) National Development Party (TNDP), told CNI News.

“The first thing the incoming government will have to deal with is domestic problems. The armed revolution will have to be resolved first. The second thing it will have to deal with is diplomacy. It will have to try to handle international diplomacy. If it can handle international diplomacy successfully, it will be able to resolve more domestic problems. This will be mutually beneficial. The main thing is to face the problems within Myanmar and then solve them," he said.

While casting a ballot

Military and political analysts point out that the six-month long state of emergency extended by the SAC will expire at the end of July at which time will determine whether elections will be held or not.

While some believe that the election is definitely possible because the   months when elections will be held have been promised, there are also those who believe that elections are not possible due to the political situation.

The civilian government might face many difficulties and crises due to the armed conflict that has been going on for almost 5 years, pointed out military and political analysts.

The priority responsibilities of the authorities were law and order restoration and the development of the economy, Myanmar political analyst Dr. Aung Myo told CNI News.

“The first priority of a government is law and order restoration. The second is to handle the economy. These two are really challenging. The constitutional amendment will have to be done later. The government will have to work together with the Tatmadaw to bring peace to the country. The current Tatmadaw leadership is not saying that they are disappointed or have given up on the NCA. So, the armed groups that will come to understand the upcoming situation will be involved in the peace talks. So, they will have to restore peace and order, re-implement the NCA, and then rebuild the economy." he said.

While the UEC staff were explaining how to vote

However, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamed Hassan said ASEAN members agreed that elections in Myanmar were not a priority. 

ASEAN has also urged the Myanmar military to uphold its peace commitments instead of holding elections, and ASEAN member states want Myanmar to respect the ASEAN five-point consent that the Tatmadaw agreed to by 2021, he said.

Therefore, they recommend that Myanmar should not prioritize the election at this time but prioritize ceasing all violence, so that all relevant organizations can meet and discuss, said Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamed.

Currently, Myanmar is experiencing severe armed conflicts, economic decline and rising unemployment. The education and health sectors are in a state of decline, and industrial activities are declining because electricity is not fully available, pointed out both domestic and international sources.

CNI News

14 July 2025

No matter which government took responsibility, only if you worked, could you enjoy benefits and advancements, said the SAC chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. 

He said the above during his meeting with elders of the town and MSME entrepreneurs in Meiktila on July 10, 2025.

"No matter which government takes responsibility, only if you work, can you enjoy benefits and advancements. So, we need to focus on regional development and socio-economic development. And we need to develop green zones in each region, ward, and village to make the Meiktila region greener," he said.

He said that they (the SAC) have not been able to carry out development projects as successfully as they should because they were dealing with conflicts, political instability, and differences of opinion in the country. 

The SAC Chairman then said that since 2010, the multi-party democracy that the entire public wants has been implemented, and that the market economy system has been implemented.

In Myanmar, the Myanmar military ousted the NLD government on February 1, 2021, claiming that it attempted to form a government without resolving the 2020 general election voter list dispute and declared a state of emergency and has been ruling the countr.

Then, armed uprisings to overthrow the Myanmar Army and the SAC intensified, and fierce battles are breaking out across Myanmar. 

To end the fighting and overcome the political conflict, the SAC has said that elections will be held in 267 townships in December 2025 and January 2026 and the state power would be handed over to the winning party.

Therefore, the SAC Chairman said that he would like the Meiktila district to also cooperate in holding the election successfully.

CNI Newsn

12 July 2025

The SAC chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing sent a negotiating letter to the US President Donald Trump, in which he told the president to impose 0 to 10 percent  trade tariff on imports from Myanmar. 

The US president Donald Trump sent a notice to the SAC chairman, in which he would impose 40 percent trade tariff on imports from Myanmar on July 7, 2025.

Then, the SAC chairman sent a reply to Trump in which he wanted to negotiate with the US about the trade tariff by sending a Myanmar high-level delegation to the US on July 9, 2025. 

While seeing the letter sent to the President Trump by the SAC chairman

“In order to achieve balanced trade between Myanmar and the United States, we would like to propose and negotiate a tariff adjustment of 10 to 20 percent on exports from Myanmar to the United States and 0 to 10 percent on imports from the United States to Myanmar. If necessary, we would like to quickly send a high-level delegation from Myanmar to meet and negotiate with relevant officials in the US,” said the SAC chairman.

US President Donald Trump is known for his unpredictable behavior, so he might accept the Myanmar's request, but it remains to be seen how much of a reduction will be made, Agriculture and Economic Advisor Ko Zaw Min Naing told CNI News.

While seeing the Myanmar garment industry

“It’s hard to predict, because the US President himself tend to do things very unexpected and we see news that the US Secretary of State prioritize his foreign policy a little bit more focus on Asia and Southeast Asia. It cannot be said that the US is unlikely to comply with this SAC request. We will have to wait and see how Donald Trump's foreign policy will play out in ASEAN and Southeast Asia. There is a possibility that Trump might respond something. He might be able to comply with the request. But it's difficult to estimate how much percentage he will reduce. Now, Donald Trump is playing his policy in Southeast Asia. As I said earlier, it also depends on whether he plays against China," he said.

Economic analysts have warned that if the SAC fails to ease the US's 40 percent trade tariff on Myanmar, the garment industry could be hurt and unemployment could rise.

The trade value between the US and Myanmar was US$ 701 million in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and over US$ 588.3 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, said Major General Zaw Min Tun, leader of the Information Team of the SAC.

CNI News
13 July 2025

Given the current political situation in Myanmar, military and political observers are questioning whether the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) should be revised.

The NCA was signed on October 15, 2015, during the Thein Sein government, and will be ten years old on October 15, 2025.

The NCA process has been stalled since 2020 and there will be issues to discuss regarding the reliability of the NCA in the peace process going forward, 7EAOs Alliance spokesperson Colonel Saw Kyaw Nyunt told CNI News.

“There are various speculations. The NCA agreement was drafted after negotiations between the two sides in 2013-2014. However, when it was signed in 2015, not all the organizations that negotiated did not participate. This is also reality. However, we have also carried out the implementation of the NCA agreement from 2015 to 2020. Not everything was smooth sailing. However, after 2020, all of our NCA processes have been halted to this day. So, regarding this NCA agreement, to what extent can it be referenced in the future peace process? To what extent can it be relied upon? I think there are many issues that we will continue to discuss," he said.

While the NCA was being signed

The government led by U Thein Sein offered a ceasefire on August 18, 2011, and held talks with 21 ethnic armed organizations. Then, between 2011 and 2012, state-level and union-level ceasefire agreements (Bilateral) were signed with 14 ethnic armed groups.

Negotiations for the NCA began in 2013 and a draft NCA was received in August 2015. After receiving the draft NCA, it was signed by KNU, RCSS, ALP, DKBA, KNU/KNLA-PC, PNLO, CNF, ABSDF on October 15, 2015, and by NMSP and LDU on February 13, 2018.

The NCA did not have many points to be amended, but it was necessary to review the points that are not working at this time and fix those that needed to be fixed, Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) Chairman Sai Htay Aung told CNI News.

“This NCA was started by the armed groups. We also participated in the peace process under the government by U Thein Sein. Laiza wanted to write the pledge books. When they said they wanted to do that, they started writing them in Laiza.After writing it in Laiza, it was confirmed with witnesses. After confirming it, it was handed over to U Aung Mina (former Minister of the President's Office of Myanmar, chairperson of Myanmar Peace Centre).  Then the government renegotiates and talks back, which is only about 10 percent. The EAOs drafted the NCA, which is about 90 percent. The government has given in. Many of their wishes are in this. After signing the NCA, all plans have been laid out for what will be done within 90 days. Since the NCA was made by the EAO, there is not much to amend. There may be a few minor ‌amendments. We should look at the sectors that are not working and then fix them. What I see is that we need to analyze what is not working in practice  in the NCA agreement, and then fix them" he said.

While seeing leaders of armed groups

Currently, the ABSDF, CNF, and KNU announced that the NCA agreement has been void and then thery are engaged in clashes with the Myanmar Tatmadaw.

The PNLO, ALP, LDU, and NMSP have also split into two groups, one claiming to have withdrawn from the NCA and the other claiming to remain on the NCA path.

Furthermore, while there are opinions that the NCA should be amended, there  are still no specific comments as to which points should be amended.

CNI News

11 July 2025

 Myanmar's garment industry could be hurt and unemployment rates could rise as the US President Donald Trump sent a notice in which the US would impose a 40 percent trade tariff on Myanmar, U Htay Aung Kyi, an economic analyst, told CNI News.

The SAC would conduct negotiations and discussions with the US after receiving the US President Trump's notification in which the US would impose a 40 percent trade tariff on Myanmar, said Major General Zaw Min Tun, leader of the SAC's Information Team on July 8.

Because the US would impose a 40 percent tariff on Myanmar, not only more economic problems but also more unemployment problems could emerge in Myanmar,  economic analyst U Htay Aung Kyi told CNI News.

Major General Zaw Min Tun

“Myanmar’s biggest export is Garments. It’s currently worth about $800 million. But 40 percent is the highest among all Southeast Asian countries. If taxes are raised, it becomes a tax burden. If taxes are increased, skilled workers may become unemployed, older people may become unemployed, and costs may increase. There are also businesses that export Chinese brands from Myanmar. It's not just an economic problem. It could also lead to other consistent problems," he said.

The trade value between Myanmar and the United States reached 701.9 million US dollars in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and more than 588.3 million US dollars in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, said Major General Zaw Min Tun, leader of the Infrmation Team of the SAC.

The economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar by the United States, Europe, and Western countries are causing the Myanmar economy to decline and unemployment rates to rise. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

Then, the International Labor Organization (ILO) imposed sanctions on Myanmar, affecting the garment industry, and unemployment is increasing due to the withdrawal of investment in the garment industry.

US President Donald Trump has sent notices saying he will impose 25% trade tariffs on South Korea, Japan and Malaysia, 40% on Laos and Myanmar, 36% on Cambodia and Thailand, 32% on Indonesia and 20% on Vietnam. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned on July 9 ahead of the ASEAN meeting that global trade is being used as a weapon, the AP reported.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 9 focused on the issue of the US's trade tariff hike. Six ASEAN members are among the 14 countries where the US's trade tariffs will take effect from August 1.

CNI News

12 July 2025

The SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that Myanmar wanted to urgently send a high-level delegation to the US in order to meet and negotiate with relevant officials regarding the US's notice that it will impose a 40 percent trade tariff on Myanmar.

On July 7, 2025, the US President Donald Trump sent a letter to the SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing notifying him that the US would impose a 40 percent trade tariff on Myanmar.

Then, SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing sent a letter to President Donald Trump on July 9, 2025, in which he requested that Myanmar wanted to send a high-level delegation to the United States for negotiations.

 “In order to achieve balanced trade between Myanmar and the United States, we would like to propose and negotiate a tariff adjustment of 10 to 20 percent on exports from Myanmar to the United States and 0 to 10 percent on imports from the United States to Myanmar. If necessary, we would like to quickly send a high-level delegation from Myanmar to meet and negotiate with relevant officials in the US,” said the SAC chairman.

In his letter to President Trump, the SAC chairman said that Myanmar is currently one of the poorest countries in the world, and the past five years have seen a series of severe challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters such as Cyclone Mocha, Cyclone Yagi, and a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. So, the Myanmar people are facing enormous challenges.

“The international community has imposed sanctions on Myanmar based on false information without knowing the true situation in Myanmar. The United States has also imposed sanctions on Myanmar, and these sanctions are of no benefit to our two countries. Therefore, we would like to request that the previously imposed economic sanctions be lifted in the interests of the people from both countries,” he said.

Economic analysts have warned that if the SAC fails to ease the US's 40 percent trade tariff on Myanmar, the garment industry could be hurt and unemployment could rise.

The trade value between the US and Myanmar was US$ 701 million in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and US$ 588.3 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, said Major General Zaw Min Tun, leader of the Information Team of the SAC.

CNI News

11 July 2025

The Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) announced on July 10, 2025, that Dr. Thiri Mon Chan, who was serving as the chairman of the Political and Military Steering Committee, had been dismissed from his position.

The Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) Political and Military Steering Committee Regular Meeting (6/2024) was held on February 18, 2024, and the Political and Military Steering Committee was reorganized and Dr. Thiri Mon Chan was elected as the Chairman by the committee members.

The MSDF then issued a statement stating that Dr. Thiri Mon Chan's words, and actions had created difficulties and inconveniences to continue to work together. 

Therefore, the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) Political and Military Steering Committee convened an emergency meeting on July 9, 2025, and discussed the matter. The statement said that, in accordance with the wishes of all committee members, the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) Political and Military Steering Committee decided to unconditionally revoke all responsibilities assigned to Dr. Thiri Mon Chan and dismiss him from the MSDF.

While seeing the statement saying that Dr. Thiri Mon Chan is dismissed

The MSDF announced that within thirty days, the MSDF Political Military Steering Committee will be expanded and new members will be elected to carry out revolutionary duties. 

The Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) was formed on September 16, 2021, and it is one of the four Mon armed groups that joined together in order to form the Mon Army on December 18, 2024. 

The four armed groups are the Mon Liberation Army (MLA), the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA-AD), the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) and the Mon State Revolutionary Force.

CNI News

11 July 2025

The detained National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders should be released in order to become elections that include all the stakeholders, Sai Nyunt Lwin, chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), told CNI News. 

All relevant stakeholders in Myanmar need to create an environment that is supportive to holding an election, Malaysia's foreign minister told the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 9.

“The NLD leaders who won the 2020 election need to be released. So that they can consider running in the election. I understand that the current situation is not an all-inclusive situation. The NLD party, which won the 2020 election, the SNLD party, which received the third most votes, and the ANP party are not involved in the upcoming election. He (the Malaysian Foreign Minister) did not mean elections that don't include such parties. I understand that he meant that a situation where these parties can take part in elections must be created," he said.

Malaysian Foreign Minister

In addition, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn met separately with Acting Secretary of the SAC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U Kyaw Nyunt Oo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

It is not known what topics were discussed, but it is understood that they discussed views on the agreements reached at the 46th ASEAN Summit, including efforts to build an ASEAN community.

On July 4, the SAC announced that it had invited the PDF and armed groups to participate in the upcoming elections.  All those involved in the current broader Myanmar political landscape should first find a way forward by meeting informally, Col. Saw Kyaw Nyunt, a spokesperson for the 7 EAOs Alliance, told CNI News.

While ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting was being held

"If a person talks about such a large and widespread conflict, his opinions and attitudes won't be the same as others.Based on the situation that has arisen, the groups involved can first find a way, either informally or through international cooperation,and then meetings and discussions can be conducted. This is also a way to find a solution" he said.

The SAC chairman said that elections will be held in 267 townships in December 2025 and January 2026, and that power will be transferred to the winning party.

However, the revolutionary forces have vowed to disrupt the election.

Therefore, the SAC issued a statement on July 4 stating that it would welcome armed groups, including the PDF, if they would legally stand within the framework of the law and work with the government and the Tatmadaw for the national and regional interests with a view to the emergence of a union based on democracy and federalism.