CNI News

24 May 2025

It was necessary to prevent further situations where the country's unity and balanced stances would be disrupted due to authoritarian actions, said the SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

He made the remarks during a meeting with young graduates of basic and advanced maritime and aviation training courses held on May 21, 2025.

“As we move towards the multi-party democracy that the people desire, we need to work to prevent the recurrence of ugly historical incidents such as the 2020 election as well as the lawless activities in the name of democracy, and the authoritarian actions that will disrupt the unity and balance of the country in the pre-election period,” he said.

Military and political observers have suggested that SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's remarks may be referring to the National League for Democracy (NLD).

The SAC chairman said that domestic and foreign subversives have been attacking the country for many years in various ways, and that the military has taken over the responsibility of the state and has worked to ensure a peaceful and stable transition to the multi-party democracy that the people want. 

While the SAC Chairman was greeting the young trainees

And it's necessary to beware of the foreign intervention He said that these forces and their affiliates, who have continuously worked to destabilize Myanmar since its independence, have been behind that incident (the situation where the country may collapse).

The Myanmar Tatmadaw has been ruling the country under a state of emergency since it ousted the NLD government on February 1, 2021, accusing it of attempting to form a government without resolving the 2020 election voter list dispute.

Then, some ethnic armed groups and activists, including some NLD leaders and parliamentarians, are waging an armed revolution to overthrow the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the SAC. As a result, fighting is raging across Myanmar, and the Myanmar Tatmadaw has lost hundreds of military bases and over 90 cities.

On the other hand, an opposition party in neighboring Bangladesh discussed the issue of establishing Rakhine State as an independent state and establishing an independent region for the Bengali people within Rakhine State during a meeting with delegates of the Chinese Communist Party. 

Similarly, some Indian parliamentarians have been discussing with Chin armed groups to merge Chin State with India's Mizoram State, and there are also demands to merge the Kabaw Valley region with India's Manipur State.

CNI News

24 May 2025

Military and political analysts are speculating on what the consequences of the resumption of fighting in Karen State and Tanintharyi Region by the Karen National Union (KNU) could be. 

In May 2025, joint forces led by the KNU's KNLA and KNDO captured three military bases in Hlaing Bwe Township, Hpa-an District, Karen State, along the Thai-Burma border: Maw Kwi Lu, Tarle, and Lay Pana Di (aka Ta Khor Bekwi).

In addition, the 4th Brigade of the KNU also captured the Htee Hta and Htee Khee strategic camps in the Htee Khee area of Dawei, Tanintharyi Region. After the political change in 2021, the KNU had differences of opinion between those who wanted a political solution and those who wanted a military solution.

Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar analyst, told CNI News that the KNU may have launched operations to recapture military bases because the group that wanted a military solution had won, and that it may also want to gain an advantage in political negotiations.

Comrades fighting alongside the KNU

“An armed group will occupy areas. They will stabilize those areas. Moreover, the people in those areas will support that group, if so, it will be more convenient for the armed group to negotiate. They will continue to do this. Because China and Thailand are taking the same steps, if battles are more severe, Thailand can intervene and negotiate a ceasefire. I think they will continue to fight within their own country rather than at the border. In any organization, there are conflicts within the organization. There are internal conflicts. For example, should they continue the war or make peace? To prevent the organization from falling apart, they must first negotiate among themselves. I think the group that will fight outright will win. That's why they are waging camp-taking battles." she said.

KNU spokesperson Pado Saw Tawnee said that the KNU is currently preparing to  lead and operate the Htee Khee border trade gate and is also preparing to lead and operate the Myawaddy border trade gate. 
The KNU also has Brigades 2 and 3 in Bago Region, while Brigade 1 is in Thaton District. The KNU captured the villages of Naung Gon, Yan Myo Aung, Ywa Gyi Inn, Kyun Gon (Nokalaw), and Taung Su in Mu Township in the last week of April.

The KNU leaders

In addition, the Myanmar Tatmadaw’s 598 Light Infantry Battalion, located in Nyaung Chedauk village, Shwe Kyin Township, on the border of Bago and Mon State, was captured by joint forces of the PDF and KNU. 

The KNU's current operations and camp occupations are similar to Operation 1027, according to some analyses.

The KNU is the oldest ethnic armed group and political organization, and is made up of seven brigades. It is difficult to predict whether an operation like 1027 will be possible, as each brigade has different activities, U Myo Kyaw of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) told CNI News. 

"The KNU is a really experienced revolutionary army. They are very skilled and understand politics and military affairs. They also have their own policies and they are going their own way. As for the KNU, even among its 7 brigades, each brigade has different powers and strategies. Some brigades wage battles to capture cities and territories. Others are also trying to weaken the enemy's strength. That's why it's hard to guess whether their operations are like Operation 1027." he said.

The KNU had to relinquish Kawkareik, which it had captured since late 2023, and Myawaddy, which it had captured in April 2024. Local news reports also indicate that the KNU has captured at least seven military bases in the 7th Brigade area over a three-month period from March to May.

CNI News

23 May 2025

Some revolutionary organizations were seeking their own interests, backed by businessmen, said General Yawd Serk, Chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA). 
He made the remarks in a message sent on the 67th anniversary of the Shan State Revolution Day, which fell on May 21, 2025.

“During the 67-year revolution, there were divisions among the Shan revolutionary groups due to internal and external political problems and differences of opinion. Some revolutionary groups were operating their own businesses with the support of businessmen, and the Shan people were not well educated and knowledgeable, so they were manipulated and used by the enemy. These are the weaknesses of the Shan revolution and also obstacles that prevent it from achieving its goal," he said.

General Yawd Serk did not express exactly which ones of the many armed groups waging revolution in Myanmar.

The national flag of the Shan people

Currently, armed groups in Myanmar are making a fortune by exploiting natural resources in the areas they have controlled in collaboration with local and foreign businessmen.

He said that the people of Shan State and patriots must study and analyze the lessons learned and reform their thoughts and actions. and that all Shan people should participate in the revolution boldly, in order to achieve the speedy success of the revolution and to free themselves from slavery and for the sake of nationality, country and religion.

The Shan Revolution began on May 21, 1958, led by Sao Nwe, also known as Sawyan, who formed a unit called the Nwan Sit Han with 31 men and 7 guns. On May 21, 2025, the Shan Revolution was 67 years old.

The only Shan armed groups remaining in Shan State were the RCSS and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP).

CNI News

23 May 2025

The SAC Vice Chairman, Vice Senior General Soe Win said that officials need to supervise their subordinates to ensure that they carry out their duties systematically to avoid any misunderstandings among the public from the time their government took responsibility until the time they hand over power to the winning party. 

He made the remarks during the second day of the SAC's work coordination meeting on May 20, 2025.

The SAC Vice Chairman said that since a multi-party democratic general election will be held by the end of this year, the Chief Ministers of Regions and States need to prepare in advance the requirements for a successful election and to fully process the election data of the Regions and States. 

He then said that security and stability are key to successfully holding free and fair elections, so it is necessary to ensure stability and peace in all places where elections can be held.

 While the SAC's Work Coordination Meeting was being held

“We need to prepare in advance for an orderly transfer of power to the winning party after the election. It is necessary for you to supervise your subordinates to carry out the process systematically from the time our government took responsibility until the time we hand over power to the winning party, so that the public does not have any misunderstandings.” he said.

SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that elections will be held in December 2025 and January 2026, and that power will be transferred to the political party that wins the election.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) also told CNI News that the election date has been set and will be announced when the election draws near. 

Political parties are predicting that the SAC will hold the election on December 14, 2025. On the other hand, the National Unity Government (NUG), the People's Defense Forces (PDF), and some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have declared that they will completely disrupt the elections to be held by the SAC.

Then, political parties are worried that people will not vote in the election.

CNI News

23 May 2025

There are reviews among military and political commentators, regarding where the SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's policy towards relations with not only China but also the United States is headed for. 

The SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said in an interview with Russian television channel RT in Moscow, Russia, on May 8 that he would like to engage not only with China but also with the United States.

The SAC Chairman said that Myanmar is a friend of the United States, and China is a neighbor, strategic partner, and brotherly country, and Myanmar will establish the best possible relations with both countries.  For a small country like Myanmar, it is better to go in parallel rather than approaching a single powerful country politically, U Khun Sai, who is involved in the peace process, told CNI News.

"The 2008 Constitution states that all countries should be friends. We have been friends with all countries since independence. I think this is what the SAC Chairman said in principle. "We must have an equal approach to the big powers. We should not be more reliant on one side. If we have an equal approach to all big powers, it will be good for us. Big countries should also understand small countries," he said.

While the SAC Chairman was meeting with RT, a Russian News Agency

Myanmar's foreign policy is an independent and proactive foreign policy, and it pursues friendly relations with all countries. The SAC chairman said that currently, geopolitically, large countries are trying to control small countries or other countries, and that the problem between China and the United States could become more complicated if other countries get involved.

As the conflict between China and the United States escalates, Myanmar needs to work on building good relations with all major countries rather than choosing one, China-Myanmar analyst Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw told CNI News.

"One thing is that the conflict between China and the United States is not as serious as we think. Second, if they are serious, we will treat China well. We will treat the United States well. We will treat Russia well. These are things that we small countries need to learn to do. We will unite with China and oppose the United States.

President Putin, President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping

We will unite with the United States and oppose China. This is what people who are not skilled in diplomacy do," she said.

The US currently has increased tariffs of up to 44 percent on Myanmar, and the SAC chairman said during his visit to Russia that it was not appropriate to increase tariffs on a developing country, and that it was better to avoid trade that is dependent on a single country and trade with all countries.

Currently, there is intense fighting in Myanmar between the Burmese military and armed groups. In these conflicts, there are pro-American armed groups and pro-China armed groups.

CNI Article

By- Chit Min Tun

22 May 2025

Myanmar has been wasting its time with wars and has not been able to get on the path of development for many years. Views are divided on whether the country we are living in is the First Myanmar or the Fourth Myanmar, and talks on ending the internal armed conflict have failed.

The Myanmar Tatmadaw, including powerful ethnic Bamar political parties and groups, now considers Myanmar to be a fourth country because they have considered that Anawrahta (founder of the First Myanmar), Bayintnaung (founder of the Second Myanmar), and Alaungpaya (founder of the Third Myanmar) established the First, Second, and Third Myanmars, and that today's Myanmar, which gained independence from the British on January 4, 1948, is the fourth country.

The non-Bamar ethnic groups, along with Anawrahta, Bayintnaung, and Alaungpaya, also had their own kingdoms under a monarchy. 

In 1885, all the territories of the various ethnic groups fell under the British rule, and on January 4, 1948, they gained independence and established today Myanmar, thus they have considered today Myanmar as the first Myanmar because they have considered Myanmar to be the result of the union of independent states, including the agreement to unify the mountains and the mainland, which resulted in the independence of Myanmar.

Buildings damaged during armed conflict are seen (Photo: Reuters)

Then, due to the lack of ethnic equality, weak power sharing, weak resource sharing, the collapse of democracy, strong centralization, the emergence of the Great Bamar Chauvinism, and the division of ideology, internal armed conflicts broke out just a few months after independence on January 4, 1948, and have lasted for more than 70 years as of today (2025). 

Before independence, due to the feudal system, kings waged wars and expanded their territories, so they spent their time on wars among ethnic groups. After independence, ethnic groups did not unite, but wars continued to waste time.

Therefore, the people of Myanmar only had the opportunity to experience democracy for three periods: from 1948 to 1958, from 2011 to 2015, and from 2015 to 2020. 

The rest of the time, they have been surviving in wars. Looking at the current situation, on February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the NLD government, claiming that it was attempting to form a government without resolving the voter list dispute in the 2020 general election and declared a state of emergency and is ruling the country.

While seeing an armed person (Photo: AP)

Then, with the gradual erosion of freedoms and the expansion of the military framework, democracy was disappearing. Therefore, efforts to restore democracy split into two groups. One group was trying to hold elections, remove the military rule, and restore democracy. 

Another group is trying to overthrow the military government and restore democracy through armed resistance. 

While there are such differences, some say they are fighting to protect democracy, while others say they are fighting because democracy has been lost.

Between these two situations, the people are experiencing a general decline in social, economic, educational, health, and freedom crises, with many people becoming homeless and some losing their families.

Some warlords have their own territories, while others are trying to gain their own territories. Some warlords are trying to control power. States create wars, and wars create states; Francis Fukuyama once said.

In Myanmar, wars create hatred, and hatred creates to make the country collapse.

Eventually, Myanmar society is slowly deteriorating and facing obstacles to democratic transition and the establishment of a federal union. 

Lee Yuan-yew, the founder of Singapore, once said in 1962 that “those with cameras are more valuable defenders of democracy than those with guns.”

While seeing a Myanmar national flag

In Myanmar, those who hold guns in the name of democracy, claiming to be defending peace, federalism, and democracy, are discussing at a round table while those who hold pens/cameras without even holding a needle are accused of being those who are making the country collapse. 

Myanmar is currently a country with a broader military framework and narrower political framework, ruled by warlords under the name of democracy. In order to break away from the state ruled by warlords under the guise of democracy and establish a union system based on democracy and federalism, the people need to be united and able to choose the right positions.

Otherwise, Myanmar could become a failed state, whether it is the fourth country or the first country because Myanmar's neighbors and visitors from far away are trying to divide Myanmar into pieces like a cake. 

Therefore, it is necessary to rebuild the country from a state ruled by warlords under the guise of democracy, through the power of internal unity. In any case, it remains to be seen how Myanmar's future democracy and federalism will develop.

"When one door closes, another one opens but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us" said Alexander Graham Bell.

CNI News

22 May 2025

During the ongoing reconstruction work after the powerful earthquake in Myanmar, cement, a key requirement, is not available due to too high demand, construction entrepreneurs told CNI News. 

Some construction material stores only sell cement if you buy other building materials together, a construction entrepreneur told CNI News.

" Cement is not hard to buy. It can't be bought. All cement-related businesses have been delayed. Some shops sell a bag of cement for 40,000 kyats in the market, while others sell it for 35,000 kyats. We buy it on the black market as it is convenient. Before the earthquake, it was around 17,000, 18,000 kyats. You can buy about 20 bags of cement if you buy other construction materials together," he said.

While seeing a building that has collapsed due to the earthquake

Currently, cement is reportedly difficult to purchase in earthquake-hit Mandalay and Sagaing. The SAC is taking action against 62 construction material stores that raised cement prices in the market last April, in accordance with existing laws. 

Cement is essential not only for reconstruction in earthquake-affected areas but also for patching up homes and buildings that have suffered minor cracks.

Currently, only cement is in high demand, while other building materials are operating normally, U Maung Maung, chairman of Shwe Gabar Maung Maung construction business, told CNI News.

"This happens when demand is high and sales are low. When there are many cracks in buildings here and there. The number of people using cement is increasing. This is especially true in Mandalay, Sagaing and Nay Pyi Taw, where demand is high. Some people buy and use as much as they need at market prices. What should we do then?

While seeing a truck carrying cement

In fact, the price of cement is not normal. They are calculating it in dollar price. At present, in our view, only cement is in very high demand. The rest of the construction materials are circulating normally," he said.

Nine cement factories in Myanmar were producing 30,700 tonnes (614,000 bags) per day before the earthquake. 

However, after the earthquake, six factories were producing 17,100 tons (342,000 bags) of cement per day, and production was increased to 22,100 tons (442,000 bags) on May 15, said the Union Minister for Industry.

He also said that the price of a bag of cement has been set at 17,000 kyats per bag for sale by relevant factories to earthquake-affected buildings.

CNI News

21 May 2025

The ongoing political conflict in Myanmar should be resolved through elections rather than through weapons, U Sai Htay Aung, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party, told CNI News.

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar Tatmadaw ousted the NLD government, accusing it of attempting to form a government without resolving the 2020 general election voter list dispute, and declared a state of emergency and is ruling the country.

Then, NLD leaders, parliamentarians, activists, armed groups, and some political parties  started waging battles to overthrow the Myanmar military and the SAC, and battles are taking place across Myanmar. 

Resolving the conflict through weapons has caused a lot of damage to the lives and property of the people, and therefore the people are focusing on resolving it with the election, U Sai Htay Aung, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party, told CNI News.

Political parties

"After the election, the SAC will hand over power to the winning party because it is talking about holding on to the 2008 constitution. The reason it did not hand over power to the winning party in 1990 is that there was no constitution. The 1974 constitution was also destroyed in the  8888 uprising. So, should we draft a new constitution or should we use the old one? If we use the old one, should we use the 1947 constitution or the 1974 constitution? There may be a dispute. When we make a decision to draft a new constitution, we can be deceived again by them because they can say that holding elections is to draft a constitution. The SAC said that it has kept the power in accordance with the 2008 constitution. But this is nothing short of a coup. It repeatedly has said that it will carry out in accordance with the 2008 constitution. And China that is important to Myanmar politics has said since the beginning that it will help Myanmar. So,  according to the 2008 constitution, the SAC will hand over power to the winning party." he said.

The SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that in Myanmar, elections will be held in December 2025 and January 2026, and that power will be transferred to the winning party. 

The Union Election Commission (UEC) told CNI News that there are currently 54 political parties registered to run the elections to be held by the SAC, of which 9 will contest nationwide and 45 will contest in a region or state.

On the other hand, the NUG, PDF, and some ethnic armed organizations have announced that they will completely destroy the elections to be held by the SAC.

CNI News

21 May 2025

The decision to hold the election can be made by the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC), said the SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He made the remarks at the SAC work coordination meeting held on May 19, 2025.

The SAC Chairman said that since the SAC took over the state in accordance with the 2008 Constitution, it is imperative to build a multi-party democracy that the people want, and therefore, the SAC must hold elections in accordance with its original intention.

" It would be best if elections could be held nationwide. However, the multi-party democratic general elections of 2010, 2015, and 2020 could not be fully held, and elections were held amidst difficulties during The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) era. The election needs to be a fair and successful election," he said.

And then, pieces regarding a quorum to convene the Hluttaw were written in sections 85, 128, and 155 of the constitution. According to these sections of the constitution, elections could be held with a quorum, said the SAC Chairman.

“The constitution stipulates that holding elections and carrying out the country's affairs through an elected government is the best for the country and that the National Defense and Security Council can decide to hold elections,” he said.

The SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that the elections will be held in December 2025 and January 2026.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) also told CNI that the election date has been set and will be announced when it was closer to the date. 

Military and political observers said that the SAC's six-month extension of the state of emergency will expire on July 31, 2025, and the NDSC meeting could be held on that day and the exact date for the election could be announced. 

Political parties are predicting that the SAC could hold elections on December 14, 2025.

On the other hand, the National Unity Government (NUG), the People's Defense Forces (PDF), and some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have declared that they will completely disrupt the elections that will be held by the SAC.

Political parties are worried that people will not vote in the election.