CNI News
15 June 2025

Civil servants must be free from party politics, said the SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He made the above-mentioned statement during a meeting with teachers in Pyin Oo Lwin on June 11, 2025.

“Civil servants need to be free from party politics and distinguish between politics and national affairs. They must be dutiful for the country by fulfilling their responsibilities and duties. I want civil servants to work together for the development of the country,” he said.

Section 26 (a) of the 2008 Constitution stipulates that civil servants must be free from party politics. The section should be amended. Instead, a civil servant must not be a member of a political party, which should be stipulated.

Ortherwise, civil servants may be in a situation in which they cannot marry a member of a political party, pointed out political parties.

Soldiers from the Myanmar Tatmadaw  are government servants, which raises the question of why they occupy 25 percent of the seats in Hluttaw, pointed out military and political analysts.

CNI News
15 June 2025

The Karen National Revolutionary Movement was to establish the Karen Country which was the goal and dream of the Karen people, said the KNU Chairman Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win.

He said that in the speech delivered on the 76th anniversary celebration of the Kawthoolei Day which fell on June 14, 2025.

After the Karen revolutionary leaders withdrew from Yangon, some leaders saw urgent needs and called an emergency meeting in Taungoo on June 14, 1949. At that meeting, the situation of the revolution was analyzed, the Kawthoolei government was formed, and administrative arrangements were re-established.

The structure of the Kawthoolei government also existed, and the first meeting of the Kawthoolei government was held in April 1950. June 14, the day the Kawthuley government was formed, was designated as Kawthuley Day, and was celebrated to this day, he said.

" The Karen National Revolutionary Movement is to establish the Kawthoolei country which is the goal and dream of the Karen people. It is not deniable that the Kawthoolei country has firmly existed in the heart of all the Karen people. We have announced the establishment of Kawthoolei country and formation of the Kawthoolei government for 76 years." said the KNU Chairman.

Kawthoolei that has liberty, equal rights and self-administration has not been recognized up to now. There had had experiences that Kawthoolei could not be established by the only desire. It was necessary to have a practical structure that is in line with the evolving political situation and the situation of the people, he said.

“Building a nation, achieving stability, progress and peace depends on good leadership, public administration, meeting public needs, public security, economic and other issues,” he said.

The KNU is a Karen armed group that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on October 15, 2015, along with seven other armed groups.

However, on February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the NLD government, claiming that it was attempting to form a government without resolving the 2020 general election voter list dispute, and seized state power.

So, the KNU is currently fighting alongside other armed groups, the National Unity Government (NUG), and the People's Defense Forces (PDF), to overthrow the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the SAC.

The KNU operates with a total of 7 brigades in Kayin State, Mon State, Tanintharyi Region, and Bago Region, and is also operating militarily in Sagaing Region in collaboration with the Local Defense Force (LPDF) and the People's Defense Force (PDF).

Interests of Myanmar is directly related to that of China

CNI News

14 June 2025

Interests of Myanmar was directly related to that of China, chairman of the Arakan Front Party (AFP) Dr. Aye Maung told CNI News. 

China-Myanmar relations have been in their 75th year, and the SAC welcomes China’s attitude towards Myanmar. 

China-Myanmar relations are getting closer and all the interests of the two countries are related, said Dr. Aye Maung, chairman of the Arakan Front Party (AFP), to CNI News.

“We must continue to maintain the current success of the China-Myanmar friendly diplomacy between U Min Aung Hlaing and Mr. Xi Jinping. So, the relationship between the two countries will become closer. As a result of the success, discussions between the Chinese Special Envoy Mr. Deng Xijun and members of the Northern Alliance regarding northern Shan State, Lashio, Taung Kham and Kyaukphyu have emerged one after another. This is because the interests of the two countries are related. When Xi Jinping met with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Russia, Xi Jinping said that China guaranteed and recognized Myanmar's sovereignty and that peace was necessary to prevent Myanmar from disintegrating. Since China is Myanmar's closest neighbor, it can be said that it is a diplomatic success for the people of Myanmar to achieve the desired results," he said.

Military and political analysts point out that China has become deeply involved and influential on Myanmar in the changing political landscape in Myanmar since February 1, 2021. 

Myanmar had long been concerned about China's influence, and it was true that China had quite influenced in some areas, political analyst Dr. Aung Myo told CNI News.

While Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Chinese President Xi Jinping were discussing

“We have tried our best to avoid being influenced by China throughout history. But we have always considered China, whether it is Mongol China, Han China, or Manchu, to be more powerful than ourselves. So, we've been worried about China's power from the beginning. It's true that China has become quite influential in some parts of Myanmar. Now, we see many wrong policies. What is this? The government is not building domestic strength. We need to find solutions to the dissatisfaction of the people and the dissatisfaction of the ethnic groups, so that we can unite and resolve our political divisions. We will find solutions and treat China equally. Instead, if we have political differences, we'll have to butter China up, saying 'Yes, sir, Yes, sir.' Whether we like it or not, we have understood that we must treat China emphatically. Whether we like it or not, we have understood that we must treat China emphatically. We accept that we have to make reasonable concessions to China," he said.

Currently, China is intervening in Myanmar to pressure the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the Northern Alliance (MNDAA-AA-TNLA) to stop the fighting and is pressuring the alliance to hand over towns along the Myanmar-China border trade route to the Myanmar Tatmadaw.

In addition, Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded during his meeting with SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Russia in May, 2025 that measures must be taken to ensure the safety of Chinese people, Chinese companies and employees, Chinese projects, and Chinese investments in Myanmar.

Low formal education leads to violence

CNI News

14 June 2025

SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that acts of violence were committed by those with lower formal education and poor cognitive and thinking skills.

He made the remarks while meeting with education staff and children studying in Pyin Oo Lwin on June 11, 2025.

"If we look at the instability and violence that is happening in our country, we will find that they are happening more in areas with poor education. Due to poor literacy and poor cognitive ability, acts of violence are being committed, which is affecting the socio-economic lives of the region and the locals," he said.

Therefore, teachers should not only teach the children academically, but also teach them the knowledge and ideas that will enable them to distinguish between good and bad, and between cause and effect, he said.  

“According to the statistics collected, there is still a great need to improve the country’s education, with about 50 percent of the population being low in education." said the SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The Ministry of Education announced on June 3, 2025, that for the 2025-26 academic year, there are over 4 million primary school enrollments (4,146,251 students), over 1 million middle school enrollments (1,344,236 students), and over 600,000 high school enrollments (628,773 students), for a total enrollment of over 6 million (6,119,260 students). 

Myanmar has a population of over 54 million, and that there are over 20 million school-age youth, but only over 6 million youths were enrolled in school, which is worrisome for the future, pointed out military and political analysts.

Currently, due to the ongoing fighting and regional instability throughout Myanmar, the rule of law is weak, and the ability to open schools is also weak. 

The Myanmar Tatmadaw ousted the National League for Democracy (NLD) government on February 1, 2021, and declared a state of emergency, claiming that the NLD was attempting to form a government without resolving the 2020 general election voter list dispute. And then, the battles began.

Currently, the NUG/CRPH which have been made up of some NLD leaders and members of Hluttaw, the PDFs and LPDFs including some EAOs are carrying out armed attacks to overthrow the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the SAC.

SAC changes the electoral law to the form it wants

CNI News

14 June 2025

The SAC will continue to change the electoral law until it is the form they want for the elections to be held in December 2025, U Myo Kyaw of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) told CNI News. 

The SAC chairman has told the people of Myanmar and the international community that the election will be held in December 2025. 

U Myo Kyaw said that holding such an election is just because the SAC wants the international community.to recognize the SAC's legitimacy.

“The Election Commission is formed by people they like. They issue regulations. They issue a law on party registration. But they have changed that law many times during their current rule. They have changed it until it is the way they want it. In other words, they are very unethical to loosen or tighten the law until they can have the upper hand. They only think about how they can have the upperhand and how they can have an exit. They don't look at the face of the country or the face of the people. They will hold elections because they want the legitimacy recognized by the international community." he said.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) told CNI News that elections will be held in 267 townships in Myanmar, and that the elections will be held in phases. 

It is reported that elections will be held in all regions and states in accordance with the priority plan except for the areas where there are restrictions due to geographical conditions,

While the SAC Chairman was meeting with political parties

In addition, the UEC said that the elections will be held under two systems: the first past the post (FPTP) system which was previously used and the proportional representation (PR) system.

Details will be announced once the relevant Hluttaw election laws and regulations are enacted, according to the UEC. 

It is known that SAC officials and the Election Commission previously met with political parties to discuss the law, but later there have been no such meetings.

Therefore, before the election law and regulations are announced, political parties should be invited and given a brief explanation, Sai Htay Aung, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP), told CNI News.

“I heard that the election law and regulations are ready. In the past, the UEC used to invite political parties to meet and discuss. If they are about to issue the law, they should invite political parties and roughly explain the law to the parties. As they have said they will hold a dignified election, I don’t think it will be so bad. Ethnic issues are very important in political processes. I believe that political issues can be resolved politically only when representatives of ethnic groups are in Hluttaw" he said.

The UEC said that the voting machine will be used in the upcoming elections that will be held by the SAC and that it is working to obtain a national certification for the quality and standards of the voting machine in accordance with the Myanmar Standards Law (2014).

CNI News

13 June 2025

Projects to be implemented in Myanmar should not be suspended whenever there is a change of government, the National Democratic Force Party(NDF) Vice Chairman U Htet Aung Kyaw told CNI News. 

Myanmar governments have been known to cancel, suspend, and renegotiate projects that were previously implemented by previous governments in developing international cooperation projects. Foreign investors disliked this move, and a lack of trust developed, leading them to avoid investing.

U Htet Aung Kyaw said that a government would be held  accountable for the projects implemented by the previous government, and that the previous government could not be said to be unrelated to the next government.

While seeing the Myitsone Project

“Normally, a government is responsible for everything that successive governments have done. You can’t say that the previous government borrowed money and the next government doesn’t have anything to do with it. This is a matter of international affairs. The two governments will have to coordinate their work even though they get on well with each other, but the next government will have to be responsible for what the previous government did. This is a matter of common sense.

In Myanmar, during the reign of Senior General Than Shwe, an agreement was signed with the Chinese government to jointly implement the Myitsone Project to distribute electricity to Myanmar.

Then, when the government of U Thein Sein, who was elected in the 2010 general election, came to power, protests erupted demanding the Myitsone project be halted, and an order was issued to temporarily halt the Myitsone project.”he said.

Similarly, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government came to power after the 2015 general election, the Myitsone project was not able to resume, and when the current Myanmar military overthrew the NLD government and declared a state of emergency, the Myitsone project was not able to resume and was suspended.

While seeing the Thilwa Project

Regarding projects, whether they are projects that have been linked to governments and signed MoUs or projects that have been implemented in the country, if they are not completed, the next government will review them to see if they are in line with the policies they have set, businessman U Aung Pyae Sone told CNI News.

"We need to work on principles, not on members of the previous government, and if we put aside our egos and only look after the good of the country, there is no reason for such projects to stop. We don't need to do the projects that the previous government did during our time. If we prioritize our ego, thinking that if we continue it, it will earn the previous government a good name, the country will suffer more than it will benefit. There will be an election soon. If a government comes to power, it needs to forget the idea that it might not continue what the previous military government, the previous NLD government, and the previous government did. We need to go with the idea that we will make this better. Otherwise, if we think that what the previous government did doesn't need to be done by the next government, and we only get such leaders, we the people will be in trouble." he said.

In Myanmar, foreign investment and projects often stop during periods of government change following elections, and during periods when the military overthrows an elected government and takes power.

CNI Article

By- Chit Min Tun

12 June 2025

Article 3 of the 2008 Constitution, entitled "The Fundamental Principles of the State," stipulates that the State is where multi-National races collectively reside.

We need to examine how the meaning of ethnicity is defined. As far as we can see, ethnic groups are defined as the people who originally lived in a region (or territory) (or country) before the colonial era or other migrations.

Ethnic groups are people who have historically lived in a territory (or country) (or region) for many years and have their own history, culture, territory, language and literature, and traditions. Race is defined by skin color, physical characteristics, culture, and nationality. 

For example: Chinese, Indian, Burmese, American, In this way, an ethnic group in a country can claim the right to own territory, a race has very little right to claim the right to own territory. (For example, Shan/Kachin/Kayah/Mon/Karen/Chin/Rakhine/Burman can claim secession/statehood based on their right to own land, while Chinese, Indians, Muslims, and Gorkhas do not have the right to own territory, and if they do, they may be severely suppressed.)

However, the definition of ethnic is both very subtle and broad, so it is necessary to exactly clarify the definition of ethnic in Myanmar because Myanmar is said to be made up of eight major ethnic groups( namely Kachin, Kayah, Mon, Burmese, Rakhine, Shan, Karen, and Chin) and other over 100 ethnic groups, totaling 135 ethnic groups:

If that is the case, then all 135 ethnic groups should have equal rights, and no one group should have more rights. There is still another issue that needs to be clarified in Myanmar. 

That is the question of whether the Bamar are ethnicity or nationality. Although it is generally understood that the Bamar are considered ethnic, why do Bamar people refer to non-Bamar people as ethnic when they speak/discuss with other ethnic groups?

Similarly, when non-Burmans talk/discuss with Burmans, why don't they refer to the Bamar as an ethnic group? Non-Bamars have accused the Bamar of practicing Chauvinism while the Bamar have also accused non-Bamars of discriminating against and excluding them, even though the Bamar do not practice Chauvinism.

However, Myanmar is a country where multi-ethnic groups live and were established by bringing together all these ethnic groups, so everyone should be equal. However, because of the rulers of the country and the provisions of the 2008 Constitution, divisions and disunity are taking place among the ethnic groups.

For example, Article 450 of the 2008 Constitution stipulates that Burmese is the official language, and Article 22 (a) stipulates that the state will help develop the language, literature, art, and culture of ethnic groups. According to these two provisions, which one is the Myanmarsar language and which nationality is the Bamar? Since the Myanmar language and literature are the language and literature of the Bamar people, is Myanmar called Bamar? is Myanmar language the Bamar's language?

Then, in relation to the provision of Article 22 (a), does it mean that Myanmar (or Bamar) is not an ethnic group? Does Myanmar (or Bamar) exist above ethnic groups including Shan/Karen/Mon/Rakhine/Kachin/Chin/Kayah?  Was the country of Myanmar today founded by a single ethnic group, the Myanmar (or Bamar)?

“Since Myanmar is a Union State, it is necessary to ensure that the official language and literature established by the State are mastered nationwide,” said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a meeting with leaders of the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) on May 25, 2025.

Similarly, efforts are being made to end the civil war that has raged for over 70 years in Myanmar and the national-level political dialogues under the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) were held by the non-Bamar ethnic groups, but  Bamar ethnic group did not participate in the dialogues.

Why do the Bamar ethnic group hold the national level political dialogues? No one clearly explains why. In the singing, acting, writing, and musical instrument playing competition that are often held in Myanmar, competitions are conducted with Bamar songs, Bamar dance and Bamar traditional orchestra. But there are no such competitions for other ethnic groups.

In this case, I think it is necessary to consider whether the accusations made by non-Burman ethnic groups that the Burman people are practicing Chauvinism are true or false. Finally, if we are to build a democratic, federal Union in Myanmar, I think it is important to have a clear definition of Myanmar (or Bamar) and ethnic groups.

Otherwise, just as the Soviet Union collapsed due to confusion between democracy and federalism, Myanmar should be aware that the confusion between the definition of Myanmar (or Bamar) and ethnicity could lead to the subsequent collapse of the country following a civil war.

CNI News

11 June 2025

The upcoming elections in Myanmar are an exit for the people rather than for the SAC, the Karen People's Party (KPP) chairperson Daw Nant Khin Aye Oo told CNI News. 

The people were sandwiched between battles of the two sides and got into trouble as hostages and only when a government emerged after elections were held, could the country exit from the crisis, so elections were an exit for the people, she said.

" Some people says that elections are the exit for the SAC, but as for us, elections are the exit for the people because the people are sandwiched between the battles of the two sides and are getting into trouble as hostages. Only when a government emerges after elections are held, could the country exit from the crisis. A free forum will be held by the end of this month, where how to rebuild the country and how to make the elections peaceful will be discussed." said Daw Nant Khin Aye Oo.

While the SAC chairman was meeting with political parties

There was no dispute that elections were not exit for the people, but they were for the SAC, U Kyi Myint, a political commentator told CNI News.

SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that elections in Myanmar will be held in phases, in December 2025 and January 2026.

Then, armed groups and democracy activists said that the SAC was looking for a way out of the political crisis by holding elections, so the elections that SAC was going to hold must be sabotaged without fail.

While seeing political parties

However, political parties registered with the Union Election Commission (UEC) of the SAC have pointed out that the upcoming election is not an exit for the SAC but an exit for the people, and that they need to be aware that if there is no election, they will have to live under the emergency provisions of the Myanmar Tatmadaw.

The people of Myanmar are currently facing disasters such as war, earthquakes, floods, storms, and diseases, as well as social, economic, health, political, and educational declines.

CNI News

11 June 2025

The military conflict breaking out between the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the KIA depended on China, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP), Sai Htay Aung told CNI News. 

He said that China is behind all the jade mining in the Hpakant region, and that if China did not encourage the illegal jade market, Myanmar's political issues could be half-settled.

" It's sorrowful that two Myanmar armed groups are fighting against each other. China has huge economic interests there. Whether or not China will escalate the Hpakant military conflict is entirely up to it. The value of jade produced in Hpakant was 66 billion kyats in Myanmar in 2023. But its value was 21 billion US dollars in China. The jade was not legally exported to China, but through armed groups. We must be careful that China is behind all the jade mining. If China is a good neighboring country, it should connect with the central government to buy the Myanmar jade. If the black market was not encouraged, the Myanmar political issues could be half-settled." said Sai Htay Aung.

While seeing jade mining in the Hpakant region

The Myanmar Tatmadaw is trying to regain the places that it has lost control of in the Hpakant region, and local media reported that a Myanmar Tatmadaw column entered Hpakant town in late May and reinforced its forces. And then, battles are taking place between the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the KIA near Hpakant.

The KIA has been launching military operations to capture towns since March 2024, and is also waging battles in the border areas of Sagaing Region and Shan State.

The Myanmar Tatmadaw would wage battles on a large scale because  Hpakant is an economically important region, Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar affairs analyst, told CNI News.

"The Myanmar Tatmadaw will fight in a big way. But it won't be easy for the Myanmar Tatmadaw. But it is able to defend for long in Bhamo because it has more weapons. So, the battles in Hpakant can take as long as those in Bhamo." she said.

Military and political observers point out that the Burmese military's offensive on Hpakant is not because of its military importance like Bhamo, but because of its natural resources.

The KIA has been waging a battle to capture Bhamo since December 4, 2024, and has not yet captured it, but it has occupied the entire region east of the Ayeyarwady River. 

Local media outlets are also reporting that natural resource extraction is currently worsening in townships in Kachin State.